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979 


NAVAl BILIEIS for JUNIOR OFFICERS 

INFORMATION J 0 ILfLltiE S E R V E OFFICERS • NAVPERS 15097 






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NAVAL BILLETS 
FOR 

JUNIOR OFFICERS 



DECCK^IBfEd 
CreTRARY Ol CONGRI^ 

FAC. File No. 


JUL221957 

AUTHORIIY;/^//': /^O-V ^ 


NAVY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON 


JUNE 1945 






SCHOOLS 


ClVILI^i 


[TYPES OF DUT^ 



A^^PHIBlOU$CfUfT _ 

AUXIU(ARV VESSELS _ 

CAPITAL SHIPS _ 

COMMUNICATIONS _ 

OESTHOVERS _ 

DIESEL SCHOOLS _ 

MINE WARFARE _ 

AA(3frOR TORPEDO ©OATS 




RADAR '--- onnliusn 

SUBMARINES _ - 


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CONTENTS 


I‘=I4S' 


Part I. Junior Officer Specialties 
NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION 


Page 

Navigation Officer _ 1 

Communication Officer_ 2 

Communication Watch Officer _ 2 

Radio Officer_L_ 3 

Ship’s Secretary_— 3 

Signal Officer _3 

Radio Specialist _ 4 

CIC Watch Officer_ 4 

Fighter Direction Officer_ 5 

Sonar Officer___ 5 

ENGINEERING 

Engineering Officer _ 7 

Diesel Engineering Officer_ 7 

CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR 

First Lieutenant_-_ 8 

Damage Control Officer_ 8 

GUNNERY AND ORDNANCE 

Gunnery Officer_: 11 

Fire Control Officer __ 11 

Recognition Officer-„ 11 

Torpedo Officer_- c 12 

Optical Officer- 13 

Mine Assembly Officer- 13 

Part II. Duty Aboard Naval Ships 

Aircraft Carriers_ 15 

Battleships _ 16 

Cruisers _ 16 

Amphibious Ships and Craft_ 17 


Page 


Auxiliaries _ 20 

Destroyers_ 22 

Destroyer Escorts _ 23 

District Craft and Small Auxiliaries 24 

Minecraft_ 26 

Patrol Vessels_ 26 

Part III. Volunteer Duties 

Special Amphibious Programs_ 28 

Bomb Disposal Officer_ 28 

Chemical Warfare Officer_ 30 

Marine Corps Officer__ 30 

Mine Disposal Officer_ 30 

Motor Torpedo Boat Officer_ 31 . 

. Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer_ 31 

Oriental Language, Officer_ 32 

Submarine Officer j, ,..._ 32 

Underwater Demolition Team Officer 33 

Part IV. Miscellaneous and Special Billets 

Armed Guard Officer_ 34 

Beach Battalion Officer_ 34 

Harbor Entrance 

Control Post Officer_ 34 

Military Government Officer_ 35 

Net Defense Officer _ 35 

Port Director Officer_ 35 

Underwater (Harbor) 

Detection Officer_ 35 


Appendix 

Educational and Occupational 
Index to Certain Naval Officer 
Billets ___ 36 


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Where do I go from here? That is the question 
which commands your thoughts increasingly as you 
near completion of yoiir course. What kind of duty 
may I expect? Will my preferences count? How 
can I learn more about types of naval officer duty? 
Who decides whether I qualify? To answer these 
questions is the purpose of this information booklet. 


Where do I go from here? 

You will be sent direct to a ship or forward 
area, to a pre-commissioning center, or to an 
advanced naval training school for additional 
training. Some advanced training schools pre¬ 
pare officers for general line duty; others con¬ 
centrate upon a specialty. 

What kind of duty may I expect? 

The answer to this one depends largely upon 
what month of what year you complete your 
course. One thing is certain—the great major¬ 
ity of your class will be sent to sea. As to type 
of ship or kind of billet—remember that the 
needs of the Navy are shifting constantly. 
It is erroneous to assume that the duties to 
which you and your classmates are assigned 
will necessarily parallel those of the last class. 
An officer with your identical qualifications 
who graduated six months ago may have been 
assigned duty for which there is no longer a 
live quota. The Navy does not pretend to place 
you in the billet for ivhich you are most ideally 
suited. It does make an effort to assign you 
to the most suitable duty for which there is 
a current need. In return, it is expected that 
whatever the assignment, you will fulfill your 
oath to serve to the best of your ability. 

You’ll get your best cue to most likely types 
of duty through the billet lecture given by 
the Commanding Officer or the Interviewing 


Officer of your school. It is important that 
you do serious thinking about your preferences 
among the billets represented in the quota for 
your class. Don’t waste ammunition aiming at 
targets beyond effective range! 

Does my duty preference count? 

Yes. It is assumed that an officer who is to 
be entrusted with shipboard responsibilities 
is capable of making an intelligent contribu¬ 
tion to the selection of his proper place in the 
Navy. The Bureau of Naval Personnel is pri¬ 
marily concerned with detailing you to the 
right billet. To assist in this effort, trained 
Interviewing Officers are located at most pri¬ 
mary and advanced naval training centers to 
review your background, administer tests, give 
billet information, and interview you person¬ 
ally. These officers recommend appropriate 
duty through your Commanding Officer to the 
Bureau of Naval Personnel. The Bureau honors 
the recommendations within limits permitted 
by quotas and by shifting requirements. Your 
orders follow. This arrangement makes it im¬ 
possible for anyone to promise anything. It is 
clear, however, that the system is in your favor. 

To help yourself and to help the Navy, it 
is good sense to become as familiar as possible 
with the nature of naval officer duties included 
in current quotas. You will be asked to state 
several preferences. Analyze your own capaci¬ 
ties and interests in terms of the stated re- 


liABMMMWMECk > 









quirements of the various types of billet. 
Avoid being romantic about yourself or the 
duty. Do not rely upon a persuasive personality 
to influence the judgment of the Interviewing 
Officer. He is more concerned with your educa¬ 
tional and occupational history, your test 
scores, naval school marks, and the opinions 
of staff officers about your officer qualities. 
Your billet choice must be reasonable in terms 
of your background and potentialities if it 
is to be considered seriously. 

Your original assignment to duty is not 
necessarily permanent. It is possible that cur¬ 
rent needs may require your assignment in 
some capacity foreign to your talents and inter¬ 
ests. The option of requesting a change of 
duty through regular channels is always open 
to every naval officer. 

Where can I get information about 
officer billets? 

This booklet sketches some highlights of 
the more common junior officer assignments. 
In addition, many primary naval training 
schools conduct planned programs to promote 
your understanding of officer billets by using 
motion pictures, lectures, and group meetings. 
Don’t miss these. 

It is advisable to consider your immediate 
naval future from two points of view: first, 
from the standpoint of a specialty (Communi¬ 
cations, CIC, Recognition, etc.); second, in 
terms of ship type. The early pages of this 
booklet deal with the more common junior 
officer specialties and give a brief description 
of the requirements of each. A second portion 
of the booklet describes the nature of duty 
aboard the more common ship and craft types 
without regard to specialty. A third section 
deals with volunteer billets, which call for 
special qualities and high devotion to duty. 
The fourth and last section sketches miscel¬ 
laneous billets open to the occasional officer 
who has outstanding qualifications, who is 
ineligible for sea duty, or who may become 
eligible for reassignment. 

One last word of advice. Your friends and 
acquaintances in the Navy will be eager to 
talk to you about types of duty. But few naval 
officers are well enough acquainted with cur¬ 
rent quotas or billet requirements to give you 
sound advice. Their opinions are frequently 
biased unintentionally by their keen enthu¬ 
siasm for the duty in which they have served. 



JUNIOR OFFICER SPECIALTIES* 


Quotas are usually given to primary 
naval training schools for certain of¬ 
ficers to be sent to advanced training. 
This section gives a brief description 
of the more common junior officer spe¬ 
cialties for which advanced schools 
train. Discover what advanced train¬ 
ing school quotas are available to mem¬ 
bers of your class, then study the in¬ 
formation contained in this section to 
discover whether your qualifications 
and interests entitle you to considera¬ 
tion. Your Interviewing Officer knows 
the selection requirements which con¬ 
trol admissions to advanced schools. 

If you meet the requirements, you may 
be recommended for specialty training. 

A common misconception among new¬ 
ly commissioned officers is that full 
time aboard ship is devoted to one’s 
specialty. Rarely is this true. Normal¬ 
ly, the junior officer may expect to 
stand one watch in three, perform col¬ 
lateral duties when not on watch, and 
devote the time remaining to his field 
of specialization. 

* Officer specialties outlined in this section relate primarily to duty 
aboard destroyers. Much of the material is extracts from Selection 
Requirements Manual For Destroyer Billets. Other specialties covered 
relate only to large ships. 


V 





Communication Watch.—The science of communicating at sea has been revolutionized. Officers who 
serve in the Communication Division must keep abreast of new developments and be quick to distinguish 

the urgent from the routine. 


VI 




NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION 
SPECIALTIES 


I 


A number of officer specialties are in the 
Navigation Department and Communication Di¬ 
vision. The importance of such specialties to a 
modern naval force is traceable to inventions of 
recent decades—the electric light, radio, tele¬ 
phone, telegraph, sound and electronic search 
apparatus. 

These have revolutionized the science of com¬ 
municating at sea. The barrier of visual range 
which limited the exchange of information in 
earlier centuries to sight and sound distance, has 
been breached. Today, radio enables ships to 
communicate with other ships and with shore 
stations across thousands of miles of ocean. 
Radar and sonic gear perform miracles in lo¬ 
cating hidden enemies in the air, on the surface, 
and beneath the sea. Newer navigational methods 
amplify the old. 

Such innovations have complicated the ex¬ 
change of intelligence. Intricate equipment now 
supplements the. signal hoist, the hail, and the 
sharp eye of the lookout. The choice of proper 
communication medium to be employed, the 
safeguarding of classified matter, the use of 
codes and ciphers, keeping abreast of changes in 
tactical publications, the exchange of proper 
recognition signals, and the maintenance of tech¬ 
nical equipment require capable supervision. 

Officers need special training to perform 
these tasks. The more common navigation and 
communication billets to which junior officers 
are assigned are covered in the pages which 
follow. 

NAVIGATION OFFICER 

On larger ships of the Navy, the Navigation 
Officer is a specialist. Because of the variety 
of duties for which he has responsibility, he 
usually has an Assistant Navigator assigned 
to his department. On the smaller ships of the 
Navy, the duties of the Navigation Officer are 
performed by the Executive Officer, who, in 
turn, may designate an Assistant Navigator 
from among the junior officer complement to 


perform the work of a navigator under his 
supervision. 

Generally speaking, there are few opportu¬ 
nities for a newly commissioned junior officer 
to be assigned to the billet of Navigator or 
Assistant Navigator. As a matter of practice, 
however, practically every junior officer as¬ 
signed to sea duty is required to perform an 
occasional day’s work in navigation. 

Under the immediate supervision of the 
Navigator, an Assistant Navigator is respon¬ 
sible for: (1) continual maintenance of ship’s 
position by navigational fixes (celestial, ter¬ 
restrial, and electronic means) ; (2) chart and 
navigational publication correction; (3) log 
and record maintenance (4) educational pro¬ 
grams; (5) navigation materiel maintenance. 

More specifically, he makes celestial observa¬ 
tions at various times of the day and night 
in order continuously to maintain ship’s posi¬ 
tion; reports ship’s position to the Captain at 
0800, 1200, and 2000, as well as at other times 
as required; plots D.R. track and ship’s course; 
keeps himself familiarized with emergency 
methods of navigation. 

In pilot waters, he establishes the position 
of the ship at frequent intervals by bearings, 
ranges, and fathometer readings, plotting exact 
positions on charts to assure safety of the 
ship’s course and position. He also uses the 
pitometer log, radio-direction finder, magnetic 
compass, gyrocompass, supersonic devices, spe¬ 
cial radio devices, and dead reckoning track 
in advising the 0.0.D. or Captain of the safe 
course to steer. From a thorough knowledge 
of the principles and the limitations of ac¬ 
curacy of each unit of operation and apparatus, 
he evaluates data obtained in order to deter¬ 
mine which device is to be relied on in advis- 
'ing the Captain of location and course to steer. 

He inspects and supervises the maintenance 
and operation of the steering mechanism, 
chronometers, sextants, stadimeters, clocks, 
and other navigational equipment. He main¬ 
tains constant check on the accuracy of the 


I 




gyrocompass and the deviation of the magnetic 
compass. He calibrates or checks calibration 
of various navigational instruments. 

The Navigation Officer also supervises the 
preparation and maintenance of the smooth 
log, compass record book, bearing book, chrono¬ 
meter record book, sight book, and calibration 
curves for magnetic compass and radio direc¬ 
tion finder. 

The Assistant Navigator may serve as 
J.O.O.D., CIC Watch Officer, Coding Board 
Officer, or as 0.0.D. when qualified. The battle 
station of the Assistant Navigator is usually 
either bridge or CIC. 

COMMUNICATION OFFICER 

An officer in this billet serves as the eyes, 
ears, and voice of his ship. He supervises the 
functioning of fellow officers and men engaged 
in a variety of communication duties. He is 
competent in all phases of general naval com¬ 
munications and is familiar with Fleet Train¬ 
ing Publications which control the maneuvers 
of his ship type and those which operate in 
conjunction. On destroyers and smaller ships, 
the Communication Officer acts as Radio Of¬ 
ficer, Signal Officer, and Ship’s Secretary. On 
larger ships, the Communication Officer has 
three assistants to discharge these functions 
under his supervision. The Communication 
Officer must discriminate quickly between the 
urgent and the routine. He must decide speedily 
the priority and routing of all information 
(other than routine) which affects his ship. 

His responsibilities include: the medium to 
be employed for communicating with ships 


and shore stations, the advice to be given the 
Commanding Officer concerning tactics dic¬ 
tated by existing conditions, and the drafting 
of a ship’s communication plan and radio fre¬ 
quency plan which harmonize with the general 
plan of operation established by the Officer 
in Tactical Command. 

The Communication Officer supervises en¬ 
cryption and decryption of dispatch traffic 
by the Coding Board. He supervises the opera¬ 
tion and maintenance of radio, sound, and 
visual signaling apparatus. He is responsible 
for the order and cleanliness of all compart¬ 
ments under his jurisdiction. In addition, the 
procurement, custody, distribution, and cor¬ 
rection of classified publications, the prepara¬ 
tion of all communication records and reports, 
and the insuring of reliable, secure, and 
rapid handling of messages, are his concern. 

To'do these things effectively requires that 
he be facile in the use of the maneuvering 
board, be familiar with codes and ciphers, be 
conversant with elements of radio engineer¬ 
ing, know flag hoists, flashing light, touch typ¬ 
ing, radio code, semaphore, recognition doc¬ 
trine, lookout training, and Mersigs. 

Basic requirements include: alert discrimina¬ 
tion and rapid decision; even temperament; 
capacity and patience to exercise detailed sup¬ 
ervision; and sound judgment under trying 
conditions. 

COMMUNICATION WATCH OFFICER 

The Communication Watch Officer is as¬ 
signed to larger ships. He performs his duties 
under the direction of the Communication 


Naval Training School (Communications) 


The regular course consists of three months of 
basic training in naval communications. This in¬ 
cludes: tactics, mooring and maneuvering board, 
codes and ciphers, visual communications, radio 
engineering, flag hoists, flashing light, touch 
typing, radio code, simulated communications 
afloat, semaphore, and lookout training. 

Certain officers selected by the school are 
trained for an additional month as signal officers, 
ship’s secretaries, ship communication officers, 
and aviation communicators. Assignments of of¬ 
ficers are made, insofar as possible, in line with 
the field of their specialization. 

Upon completion of the course, officers are 
given the classification symbol which marks them 


as communicators. They are then sent to ad¬ 
vanced line officer schools, to operational training 
centers for certain types of craft, to district 
communication pools, to certain Naval Air Sta¬ 
tions, or direct to ships or advanced bases. Some 
officers are given special training in Merchant 
Marine Communications to qualify as Communi¬ 
cation Liaison Officers with convoys. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Need not be qualified for sea duty. 

2. Interest in routine administrative duties re¬ 

quiring exceptional degree of responsi¬ 
bility and accuracy. 

3. Good command of English language. 

4. Above average personality to deal directly 

with Commanding Officer. 


2 


RESTRICTED 




Officer. He may be required to perform part 
or all of the duties outlined in the billet 
description of the Communication Officer. 

After accumulating the necessary experi¬ 
ence, a Communication Watch Officer may be¬ 
come Assistant Communication Officer of a 
larger ship or Communication Officer of a 
smaller combatant or auxiliary vessel. Com¬ 
munication Watch Officers are trained in a 
three month course at Naval Training School 
(Communications). 

RADIO OFFICER 

The Radio Officer directly supervises all per¬ 
sonnel engaged in the mechanics of commu¬ 
nicating with ships and shore stations beyond 
visual range. He develops radio communica¬ 
tion personnel into a balanced, harmonious 
team capable of rapid and accurate perform¬ 
ance. 

Among his responsibilities are the guarding 
of all required frequencies, the constant ad¬ 
justment of transmitters and receivers, and 
the inspection of circuit logs and files. He 
is required to know radio and sound procedure 
thoroughly, and to perform functions of a 
division officer nature in connection with ad¬ 
vancement in ratings and the preparation of 
the Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill for men 
under his supervision. 

The Radio Officer guards the security of 
his ship by posting enciphered calls and their 
translations at operating posts which might 
receive a challenge. He exercises fine dis¬ 
criminations in the choice of frequencies to be 
employed under various tactical and physical 
conditions. He is familiar with “Q” signals, 
naval radio organization-fleet frequency plans, 
and appropriate training and tactical publica¬ 
tions. 

In addition to verbal communication respon¬ 
sibilities, the Radio Officer may be required 
to locate the position of his own or of other ' 
ships by taking radio bearings or by the use 
of supersonic echo-ranging gear. 

To succeed in this billet an officer must have 
a strong interest in radio theory and practice, 
capacity for detailed supervision, exceptional 
accuracy and orderliness, and thorough knowl¬ 


edge of radio doctrine in relation to complex 
strategical and tactical situations. 

SHIP'S SECRETARY 

This officer is responsible for general super¬ 
vision over the receipt, routing, filing, account¬ 
ing, follow-up, review, and dispatch of all 
ship’s correspondence. He is responsible, too, 
for the custody of secret and confidential mat¬ 
ter issued him, and for the care and mainten¬ 
ance of equipment and material used in his 
department. He serves as the encyclopedia for 
senior officers on correspondence forms, chains 
of command, ship reports, and naval style. 
The Ship’s Secretary also maintains the classi¬ 
fied and registered mail logs and supervises 
the activities of Navy mail clerks aboard. The 
yeoman force assigned to the central com¬ 
munications office is an additional supervisory 
responsibility. 

The ability to explain things clearly is an 
essential- quality in a Ship’s Secretary. He 
must be painstaking and precise and have 
broad acquaintance with the intricate stream 
of paper work which enables a ship to live 
and to fight. Ship’s Secretaries are trained in 
a four month course at the Naval Training 
School which specializes in Communications. 
Officers with previous experience as yeomen 
are particularly well equipped for this spe¬ 
cialty. 

SIGNAL OFFICER 

This officer directly supervises all personnel 
engaged in the mechanics of communicating 
with ships and shore stations within visual 
range. He must develop proficiency, precision, 
and team work in his signalmen. 

Such duty requires ready familiarity with 
flag hoists, flashing light, semaphore, recogni¬ 
tion doctrine, and lookout training. In addi¬ 
tion, the Signal Officer should be authorita¬ 
tively familiar with relevant Fleet Training 
Publications, with the General Signal Book, 
the U. S. Navy Visual Call Sign Book, Signal 
Cipher, Mersigs, and routine visual reports. 
Commonly, this officer stands deck watches 
and engages in various collateral duties. 

Signal Officers are trained at Naval Train¬ 
ing School (Communications). 


RESTRICTED 


3 


RADIO SPECIALIST* 

(Radar and/or Radio Materiel Officer) 

An officer assigned to this duty supervises the 
maintenance and repair of radar equipment. 
He must be studious, capable of independent 
experimentation with electronic equipment, 
and have a knack for instructing others in 
the proper use and care of complicated mechan¬ 
isms. On many ships, the Radio Specialist is 
called upon to maintain, inspect, and repair, 
sonar and radio installations. The readiness 
for service of these vital sources of communica¬ 
tion with friendly and enemy units depends 
upon the painstaking competence with which 
he performs his duties. 

The Radio Specialist instructs enlisted per¬ 
sonnel in repair techniques, and examines men 
for advancement in rating. During general 
quarters he usually assists in supervising en¬ 
listed personnel engaged in the operation of 
radar and radio equipment. He may stand 
watches in the CIC, Main Battery Control, 
Coding Board, and as J.O.O.D. 

An officer who chooses this duty should be 
an exceptional student, particularly adept in 
mathematics and physics. He should recognize 
that a long and exacting training period stands 
between him and active duty. Successful grad¬ 


Naval Training School (Pre-Radar) 

Radio Specialists begin their specialized train¬ 
ing at a Pre-Radar School. The course is pitched 
at a high level and is accelerated to an unusual 
extent. During the first two months of Pre-Radar, 
for example, student officers cover approximately 
the same ground in the field of electricity as 
would be covered in an undergraduate program 
in electrical engineering. 

Officers who qualify after four or five months 
of pre-radar are sent to an additional four and 
one-half months of advanced training. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Need not be qualified for sea duty. 

2. Degree in engineering or physics preferred. 

3. Mathematics through calculus and at least 

1 year college physics. 

4. High scholastic standing. 

5. Must meet high qualifying test scores. 

6. Must pass special pre-radar tests. 


* The billet titles used to distinguish the officer who maintains radar 
and radio equipment from the officer who interprets the information 
conveyed by radar and radio have been standardized as follows: the 
Radio Specialist (Radar and/or Radio Materiel Officer) commonly 
known in the past as the Technical Radar Officer is the one who main¬ 
tains the equipment. The CIC Watch Officer, formerly known as the 
Tactical Radar Officer, is the watch officer in the Combat Information 
Center. 


uates of the course are classified as Radio 
Specialists and are assigned to billets accord¬ 
ing to the current needs of the service. 

CIC WATCH OFFICER 

The prime responsibility of an officer en¬ 
gaged in this duty is to serve as interpreter of 
information coming to the Combat Informa¬ 
tion Center from radar, under-water sound, 
visual lookout, aerial scout lookout (via radio), 
and other ships in company (via radio or other 
signal). This billet fills the gap between the 
technical Radio Specialist (who maintains the 
equipment) and the Captain and other officers 
aboard ship who must depend upon the in¬ 
formation obtained from radar. 

The CIC Watch Officer is stationed in the 
Combat Information Center, the nerve center 
of the ship. It is his task to supervise the 
activities of personnel engaged in operating 
equipment' which provides information for 
navigation, searches for and locates surface 
and aerial targets, and assists in laying the 
guns on these targets. 

During fair weather, the information fur¬ 
nished the bridge by radar is in the nature of 
useful supplemental data. At night, in foul 
weather, in poorly charted waters, or when 
skirting strange shorelines, the information 
from the CIC Watch Officer is of paramount 
importance to ship-handling and fire control. 


Naval Training School (Tactical Radar) 

This school gives a two month intensive course 
in CIC organization; specialized problems of 
shore bombardment, torpedo attack and anti¬ 
submarine warfare; fighter direction doctrine; 
radar theory; inter- and intra-ship communica¬ 
tions used in CIC; piloting, summary plot, and 
DRT plot; gunnery fire control; and tactics. 

The course is practical in nature and stresses 
learning by doing. Emphasis is on the “how” not 
the “why.” Lectures and demonstrations, class¬ 
room problem work, actual operation of CIC, 
radar operation, training films, reading, mock- 
ups, and quizzes are all employed as training 
devices. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Ability to speak rapidly and fluently. 

2. Interest and ability in piloting. 

3. Experience helpful which has developed 

ability to make decisions quickly and 
accurately. 

4. Must pass special tactical radar tests. 


4 


RESTRICTED 









To succeed in this billet an officer should 
be quick mentally and be able to make calm 
decisions in the midst of swiftly developing 
events. 

FIGHTER DIRECTION OFFICER 

This officer serves as the guide for friendly 
aircraft which are operating in conjunction 
with his unit, group, or force. On smaller ships, 
an officer who performs this function is more 
commonly known as an Interceptor. 

It is the task of such officers to coordinate 
all available information concerning enemy 
locations and strength and to translate this 
knowledge into specific tactical directions for 
air pilots. To do this effectively requires an 
appreciation of the limitations of both friendly 
and enemy planes, of the instruments by means 
of which information is accumulated, and of 
the offensive and defensive power of surface 
units involved. 

The control of the tactics of fighter planes 
engaged in the interception of enemy aircraft, 
and the furnishing of appropriate information 
to various officers and departments of the ship 
or task force, is a post of great responsibility. 
Required are: a clear confident voice, quick 
mental decision, resourcefulness, imagination, 
and initiative. Stability under stress is a prime 
requisite. 


Naval Radar Training School 

Carefully selected candidates are trained for 
fourteen weeks at this school. The first month 
consists of classroom instruction in mastery of 
relative movement, air-surface warfare, aerial 
tactics, talker doctrine, etc. The second and third 
months are occupied mainly with simulated and 
actual problems of interception and fighter di¬ 
rection. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Ability to think quickly and speak clearly. 

2. Ability to work harmoniously with other 

officers and enlisted men in close quarters. 

3. Ability to work rapidly under pressure. 

4. Must meet high qualifying test scores. 


SONAR OFFICER (ASW OFFICER) 

At general quarters, the Sonar Officer nor¬ 
mally takes his station in the sonar hut. He 
evaluates all contacts and classifies them as 
submarine or non-submarine. When the con¬ 


tact is positive, he initiates sound contact pro¬ 
cedure and supervises the flow of sonar data 
to bridge and CIC. Throughout the course of 
the attack, the Sonar Officer advises the conn¬ 
ing officer as to estimated depth, target angle, 
and speed of the submarine. The Sonar Officer 
normally stands watches at sea and in port 
and may be assigned collateral duties. As he 
advances to positions of greater responsibility 
aboard ship, his sonar training is invaluable, 
since all watch officers, including the Execu¬ 
tive Officer and Commanding Officer of an 
anti-submarine vessel must be well qualified 
to conduct attacks. 

Basic requirements for success in this billet 
are: good sense of relative movement, calm 
dependability, ability to detect and distinguish 
between fine variations of pitch and tone, and 
ability to make quick decisions. 


Fleet Sonar School 


Officers sent to Fleet Sonar School progress 
through a course of approximately six weeks. 
The curriculum is organized to include afloat 
and ashore instruction in the theory and applica¬ 
tions of anti-submarine warfare. This includes 
theory of sound, elements of echo-ranging, sound 
transmission in sea water, depth charge attack, 
use of ahead-thrown weapons, duties of each 
member of an attack team, relation of attack 
team to watch officer, application and import of 
Doppler in anti-submarine warfare, interpreta¬ 
tion of recorder traces, and geographical plotting. 

Instructional devices used include: Primary 
bearing teachers, instruction on stack, attack 
teacher, and simulated and actual attack runs. 

Selection Requirements 

1. College major in mathematics, physics, or 

electricity preferred. 

2. Must have an “ear for music.” Able to dis¬ 

tinguish between pitches. 

3. Ability to think rapidly and make quick, 

accurate decisions under stress. 

4. Must pass special Sonar tests. 



RESTRICTED 


5 








a. 


I 


Looking Over the Diesels.—Keeping the engines in repair and preparing his men for advancement are 
never-ending responsibilities of the engineering officer. Here an officer conducts a training session in the 

engine room of a patrol craft. 


6 


RESTRICTED 





ENGINEERING SPECIALTIES 


The safety and fighting ability of a naval ship 
depend upon the efficient performance of the 
main propulsion machinery. The health and well 
being of the men who sail in her depend upon 
the faithful performance of the auxiliary engines 
which create and maintain services essential to 
living comfort. 

Prime responsibility for keeping life under 
the skin of the ship belongs to the Engineering 
Officer^ Assistant Engineering Officer, and En¬ 
gineering Assistants. The organs and arteries 
which support the life of the ship are almost as 
complex as those of a human body. Specialists 
are required to minister to these mechanisms ivho 
are capable of diagnosis, treatment, and, when 
necessary, surgery. 

ENGINEERING OFFICER 

On smaller ships and craft of the Navy, one 
officer carries the total supervisory responsi¬ 
bility in the engineering department. On larger 
ships, an Assistant Engineering Officer and 
Engineering Assistants are usually assigned to 
share the work of the Engineering Officer. 

The Engineering Officer serves as a depart¬ 
ment head and supervises performance of the 
following duties: care, maintenance, and opera¬ 
tion of all machinery and electrical equipment 
except radio, radar, sound, and visual signal¬ 
ling apparatus; inspection and maintenance of 
engineering compartments; machine shop op¬ 
eration; stowage and use of engineer stores, 
supplies, material, and articles of equipment; 
fuel stowage and use; engineer force watch and 
duty assignments; preparation of machinery 
condition and fuel and water consumption re¬ 
ports; enlisted personnel work review, correc¬ 
tion, training, and examination for promotion. 
He may, on some ships, serve as Damage Con¬ 
trol Officer. At general quarters he takes sta¬ 
tion in the main engine room and supervises 
casualty control. 

In addition, the Engineering Officer prepares 
and preserves a wide variety of prescribed 
records and reports, conducts routine and spe¬ 
cial tests, prepares daily engine room orders, 
and serves as a member of the Hull Board. 

Assistant Engineering Officers and Engineer¬ 


ing Assistants perform all or designated por¬ 
tions of the above duties under the direction 
of the Engineering Officer. 

Desirable attributes of an officer in the en¬ 
gineering department include: alertness to de¬ 
tails, resourcefulness, ability to train men in 
the operation and maintenance of equipment 
and machinery, and strong mechanical interest 
and ability. 

DIESEL ENGINEERING OFFICER 

Many of the smaller ships of the Navy— 
destroyer escorts, amphibious vessels, mine¬ 
sweepers, and most auxiliaries and patrol craft 
—are equipped with diesel engines for main 
propulsion and for auxiliary power. Submarines 
use diesel engines while running surfaced. 
Most larger ships have emergency diesel en¬ 
gines to provide electric current and for auxil¬ 
iary purposes. 

The Engineering Officer on many small 
ships, therefore, should be trained in diesel en¬ 
gineering. On the larger ships one or more of 
the engineering officer assistants should have a 
knowledge of diesel engines. 

The great majority of engineering school 
graduates are assigned to ships. A few may be 
assigned to advance bases for repair and main¬ 
tenance duties. 


Naval Training School (Diesel Engineering) 

Training in the operation, maintenance, and 
I'epair of diesel engines is given at Naval Train¬ 
ing Schools (Diesel Engineering). 

The training is practical in nature. Subjects 
included in the course are: Diesel Engines, Ships 
and Administration, Electrical Engineering, and 
Engine Room Auxiliaries. Extensive laboratory 
work is performed in assembling, disassembling, 
and operating all types of diesel engines and 
auxiliaries (including refrigeration system?). 
The course is approximately 19 weeks in duration. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Sufficiently rugged to withstand duty on 

diesel powered craft. 

2. Engineering degree; preferably mechanical, 

desirable. 

3. High degree of resourcefulness and me¬ 

chanical aptitude to supervise repairs. 


RESTRICTED 


7 






The "heavies" of a Pacific task group return from a strike against the Japanese. 


CONSTRUCTION AND 
REPAIR SPECIALTIES 


Battle damage and marine casualty create 
problems which challenge the resourcefulness 
and competence of officers assigned to this de¬ 
partment. Mastery of damage control, fire fight¬ 
ing, and ballast trim are essential to the prosecu¬ 
tion of naval combat. Tonnage saved is as im¬ 
portant as tonnage built. 

Officer specialties in this department also in¬ 


sure the seamanlike character of the ship’s hand¬ 
ling, the smooth functioning of her deck gear, 
rafts, and boats, and the reliability of her ground 
tackle, mooring, and towing lines. 

Finally, officers in this department supervise 
the maintenance, inspection, repair, cleanliness, 
good order, efficiency, and trim appearance of 
the ship as a whole. 


FIRST LIEUTENANT AND 
DAMAGE CONTROL OFFICER 

The First Lieutenant and Damage Control 
Officer, under general supervision of the Com¬ 
manding Officer and Executive Officer, is re¬ 
sponsible for training and drilling damage 
control parties in the control of Avar damage, 
in fire fighting, and in compensating for, or 
repairing, other injuries to the ship which 
affect its safety and fighting capacity. 


At general quarters, he supervises the dam¬ 
age control party. He assembles necessary 
shores, blocks, plugs, braces, velocity power 
tools, and other material to control flooding, 
limit damage, and strengthen structural mem¬ 
bers; cuts away and jettisons equipment to 
maintain stability and freeboard, and control 
list and trim; pumps out compartments; oper¬ 
ates or supervises operation of fire-fighting 
equipment, such as carbon dioxide extin- 


8 


RESTRICTED 







guishers and foam extinguishers, handy billies, 
fog nozzles, and sprinkling systems; rigs up 
emergency replacement parts, such as hull 
plates or stanchions, and casualty power cir¬ 
cuits; and performs other duties of a similar 
character as conditions require. 

He organizes the ship for damage control by 
establishing: battle and war cruising damage 
control organizations; departmental and divi¬ 
sional organizations for maintenance of condi¬ 
tions of closure; training programs for all offi¬ 
cers and men in damage control duties; and a 
chain of command for reporting of damage and 
ordering of corrective measures. During spe¬ 
cial sea details, he takes station on the fore¬ 
castle and is in charge of the forward section 
during anchoring, mooring, or getting under 
way. He also supervises towing operations, 
hoisting and lowering of boats, fueling at sea, 
and the transfer at sea of personnel and equip¬ 
ment. 

As Construction and Hull Officer of the ship, 
the First Lieutenant has charge of procuring, 
stowing, and issuing of all deck stores, serves 
as custodian of the ship’s keys, and carries out 
air tests of compartments. Necessary depart¬ 
mental records are also maintained—equipment 
history records and logs, and routine and spe¬ 
cial reports of various kinds pertaining to the 
hull and fittings (Hull Book). 

Officers assigned to this department inspect 
or direct the inspection of all compartments, 
bulkheads, doors, valves, pipes, and other parts 
(except those which are the responsibility of 
another department). These are inspected for 
cleanliness, good order, and good working con¬ 
dition. These officers are further responsible 
for the cleanliness of the casings and bulk¬ 
heads around machinery outside of engineering 
spaces, and of all pipes, including uptakes and 
intakes, hatches, ventilators, and bulkheads, 
with such exceptions as may be made by the 
Commanding Officer. Officers in this depart¬ 
ment also receive reports from crew members 
as to necessary repairs and schedule the work 
of repair according to material and man hours 
required. 

The work supervised by officers in this de¬ 
partment includes the training and drilling of 
damage control parties, repair of damaged 
equipment, diving operations, maintenance of 


damage control equipment and life-saving de¬ 
vices, use and care of ground tackle, main¬ 
tenance and equipping of life rafts, floater nets, 
and boats, and chipping and painting. 

Personnel training covers such subjects as 
setting of material conditions of closure; main¬ 
tenance of watertight integrity; interior battle 
communications; maintenance and operation 
of hull and engineering damage control equip¬ 
ment; making of emergency repairs; making 
way about ship under adverse conditions; use 
of shores, plugs, and other damage control 
materiel; locating of damage; fighting fire; 
fighting effects of chemical agents; and first 
aid. Both officers and enlisted men are trained 
in: signicance of damage control markings; 
necessity for thorough application of damage 
control principles; material conditions; ability 
of ship to resist damage and remain afloat; 
damage control methods; and ship structure 
and equipment location. 

On most naval ships, junior officers assigned 
to this department will be required to perform 
any or all of these functions. On some of the 
larger ships, the junior officer may specialize 
in damage control or chemical warfare de¬ 
fense. On some smaller craft, the Damage Con¬ 
trol Officer may be from the engineering de¬ 
partment, but this arrangement is not typical 
of naval ship organization. 

Desirable traits for officers in this billet are: 
skill in handling men of all types, mechanical 
or civil engineering training and experience, 
strong command qualities (including a firm 
strong voice) and ingenuity and determination. 
Some experience with pumps and pipe systems 
is valuable for the bulkheads and overheads, of 
a naval ship are strung with conduits. 



RESTRICTED 


9 



The final purpose of all officers aboard naval 
ships is to contribute to bringing a stable gun 
platform into effective range for handing out 
punishment to the enemy. Once this is accom¬ 
plished, the specialists in fire control and gun 
handling exercise, in a few brief minutes or 
hours, the accumulated knowledge and skills 
which months and years of incessant drill have 
developed. 


This trial by fire is the ultimate destiny of 
every naval ship. It motivates the laying of her 
keel, exerts the controlling influence on her de¬ 
sign, shapes the training pattern of the men who 
sail in her, and dictates her strategical disposi¬ 
tion and tactical use. When the enemy is brought 
within range, the toll exacted is directly related 
to the skill of her gunnery and ordnance spe¬ 
cialists. 


JO 


RESTRICTED 


GUNNERY AND ORDNANCE 
SPECIALTIES 


GUNNERY OFFICER 

(Chief Fire Control Officer) 

Small ships of the Navy have a single officer 
who supervises and administers the work of 
the Gunnery Department. On larger ships, an 
Assistant Gunnery Officer and an appropriate 
number of Gunnery Assistants are assigned 
duties in the department at the direction of 
the Gunnery Officer. 

The Gunnery Officer is a department head, 
and, under the supervision of the Commanding 
Officer and the Executive Officer, carries out 
broad administrative duties related to material 
and personnel. 

At general quarters he takes station in the 
main battery control station as chief fire con¬ 
trol officer for the ship. He communicates with 
the Conn, GIG, and all gunnery stations by 
battle telephones and public address systems. 
He receives orders from GIG and the bridge 
relative to gun control and submits informa¬ 
tion concerning targets, developing dangers, 
and items of urgent interest to the bridge, GIG, 
and the plotting room. He uses the directors 
to determine range, bearing, elevation, and 
movement of targets. This information is 
checked against and supplemented by electronic 
search equipment. He translates information 
supplied by these sources into an accurate solu¬ 
tion of the gunnery problem. 

In addition, with permission of the Captain, 
the Gunnery Officer determines priority of 
targets for fire, decides which battery should 
be used for each target, evaluates spots, and 
prescribes‘the method of fire control. In the 
case of air targets, he frequently delegates the 
decision to open fire to junior officers and petty 
officers. When damage or casualty impairs the 
fire control system, he orders standby methods 
of control calculated to keep the batteries in 
most effective action. 

Officers assigned to the Gunnery Department 
man key stations; inspect, maintain, repair, 
adjust, requisition, stow; and keep history, 
record, and expenditure reports. They under¬ 


take personnel assignment, training, inspec¬ 
tion, transfer, discipline, testing, promotion, 
and morale maintenance. 

Officers assigned to the Gunnery Depart¬ 
ment, in addition to their primary specialties, 
perform a wide range of collateral duties, in¬ 
cluding the standing of deck and port watches. 

Occasionally, junior officers may be ordered 
to Fire Control School direct from primary, 
training. More commonly, however, experi¬ 
enced officers from ships’ gunnery departments 
are selected for such training. 

A firm clear voice, facility in handling men, 
quick decision, stability and calmness in the 
midst of stress and confusion, and stamina are 
prime qualifications for officers who seek to 
specialize in this department. 


Naval Training School (Fire Control) 

Specialist training is given in the science of 
fire control through a twelve week course. 

Emphasis is placed upon the maintenance and 
operation of guns; solution of gunfire problems 
through visual, sound, and electronic aids; func¬ 
tion and performance of gun crews; and the 
practical application of fire control in the firing 
of guns. 

Familiarity with loading mechanisms, commu¬ 
nication lifts, ballistics, torpedo directors, target 
identification, power equipment, and directors, is 
accomplished. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Electrical engineering, mathematics, or 

physics degree preferred. 

2. High degree of mechanical aptitude. 

3. Experience as machinery inspector or in 

engineering laboratory helpful. 

4. Must meet high qualifying test scores. 


RECOGNITION OFFICER 

Early in the present war the need became 
acute for officers and men trained especially in 
aircraft and surface craft recognition. It is of 
vital importance that gunner’s mates, fire con- 
trolmen, lookouts, and officers on the bridge be 
able to spot planes and ships at extreme ranges 
as friendly or enemy before opening fire. To 

11 


RESTRICTED 





meet this need, a naval training school was 
established to train qualified officers in the 
instant recognition of targets and in the tech¬ 
nique of instructing other officers and men 
aboard their ships. 

The Recognition Officer, therefore, instructs 
personnel in the recognition features of ships 
and aircraft, and assists in the identification 
of enemy units. By use of film fiash projector, 
movies, models, flash cards, charts, manuals 
and other training aids, he instructs other of¬ 
ficers, lookouts, quartermasters, signalmen, 
20mm and 40mm gun crews and other person¬ 
nel designated by the Commanding Officer in 
the identification of those planes or ships which 
may be found in the combat zone. He also 
trains lookouts in all phases of their duties, 
such as: estimation of relative bearings, posi¬ 
tion angles, range, methods of daytime and 
nighttime scanning, the care and use of binocu¬ 
lars, the standard telephone talking procedure, 
and methods of making reports. 

The Recognition Officer gives individual in¬ 
struction as necessary; studies action reports 
from combat zones and so organizes instruction 
as to emphasize pertinent types of craft in 
action. He resorts to visual recognition when 
recognition signals, radio, or alternate systems 
of identification fail. This officer is likewise 
responsible for the procurement of dark adap¬ 
tation goggles and other recognition equip¬ 
ment. Collateral duties characteristic of a 
junior officer billet in the gunnery department 
are assigned him. 


Naval Training School (Recognition) 

The recognition instructors’ course requires 
eight weeks of training. 

Emphasis is placed upon the instant recogni¬ 
tion of aircraft and surface craft, upon the fun¬ 
damentals of lookout duty, and upon the devices 
and techniques of instruction which assist the 
Recognition Officer to train his shipmates in 
these fields. 

The majority of officers who complete this 
course go direct to sea as recognition and lookout 
instructors. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Quick eye reaction. 

2. Ability to judge distances. 

3. Collegiate training helpful in education, 

psychology, or other fields emphasizing 
human behavior. 

4. Teaching experience desirable. 


An officer to succeed in this billet should 
meet rigid requirements as to vision, be a 
facile and interesting speaker, know principles 
of instruction, be ingenious in getting informa¬ 
tion across, and be a good organizer. Instruc¬ 
tion is given to specialists in this field at Naval 
Training School (Recognition). The course is 
of two months duration. Some officers are sent 
to Recognition School for a one month course 
in lookout recognition before reporting to ships. 
These officers are not trained as instructors and 
are not known as Recognition Officers. 

TORPEDO OFFICER 

At general quarters, this officer stands by at 
the torpedo director on the navigating bridge 
as torpedo control officer in a torpedo attack 
and receives target designations from the Com¬ 
manding Officer or CIC. He sets up the torpedo 
problem by giving the director operator neces¬ 
sary inputs such as target course and target 
angle, target speed, salvo spread and offset, 
depth setting and torpedo speed. During depth 
charge attack, the Torpedo Officer may serve 
as depth charge release operator and work in 
conjunction with the sonar team. 

Under the administrative supervision of the 
Gunnery Officer, a Torpedo Officer is respon¬ 
sible for the initiation of requisitions for sup¬ 
plies, materials, equipment, repairs, and re¬ 
placements of ordnance material connected 
with torpedo and depth charge installations. 
He inspects equipment, checks quantity, qual¬ 
ity, stowage, and conformity with safety regu¬ 
lations. He prepares material reports, trains 
and drills torpedo and depth charge teams, 
maintains discipline, supervises the work of 
crewmen, conducts special study courses, rec¬ 
ommends promotion, and keeps personnel rec¬ 
ords up to date. 

Collateral duties of many kinds are assigned 
such an officer, including the standing of deck 
and gun watches. 

Basic requirements include: sound judg¬ 
ment, calm performance under stress, and the 
patience and capacity to exercise detailed su¬ 
pervision over the operation of complex mech¬ 
anisms. Duty assignment is usually to a de¬ 
stroyer, motor torpedo boat, destroyer tender 
or submarine tender, occasionally to subma¬ 
rines, or to an aircraft carrier for the main¬ 
tenance of torpedoes used by torpedo bombers. 


12 


RESTRICTED 




Officers are trained for this duty at Naval 
Torpedo Stations. Courses range from 6 to 12 
weeks. 


Naval Torpedo Station 

Intensive courses of training for officers and 
men are conducted at several torpedo stations. 
The courses for officers range from six to twelve 
weeks. Eight weeks is the length of the average 
course. 

The curriculum includes: general torpedo 
characteristics, disassembly, overhaul and as¬ 
sembly, firing and recovering, operation of the 
torpedo director and sights, and the strategy and 
tactics of torpedo warfare. Depth charges are 
also studied. 

Selection Requirements 

1. College training in mathematics, including 

geometry and trigonometry. 

2. High degree of accuracy in estimating tar¬ 

get speeds, distances, and angles. 

3. Interest and ability in maneuvering board. 


OPTICAL OFFICER 

A few carefully selected officer candidates 
are trained in the operation, adjustment, as¬ 
sembly, maintenance, and repair of optical 
instruments — rangefinders, telescopes, peri¬ 
scopes, navigation instruments, and spotting 
glasses. Optical officers are usually assigned to 
large ships with primary duty in the gunnery 
department where they perform the usual 
junior officer functions including the standing 
of deck watches. Collateral duty is principally 
in connection with the training of personnel in 
the maintenance, repair, and use of optical 
instruments. 


Naval Training School (Optical-Primary) 

Optical Officers are trained at Naval Training 
School (Optical-Primary) for four weeks. The 
course includes both classroom and laboratory 
work. 

Training centers around the operation, repair, 
and maintenance of optical instruments: sex¬ 
tants, chronometers, rangefinders, etc. 

Selection Requirements 

1. College training in physics, optometry, or 
optics preferred. 

2. Proficiency and interest in mathematics. 

3. Must be methodical, exacting, and inter¬ 

ested in detail work. 

4. Must meet high qualifying test scores. 


The standards of selection for such an officer 
are high. A degree in physics, optometry, or 
optics is preferred. Proficiency in mathematics 
is a requisite. 

Personal qualities required are methodical 
exactness, manual dexterity, patience, and 
strong interest in the mechanics of optical in¬ 
struments. 

MINE ASSEMBLY OFFICER 

The German innovation of the aircraft-laid 
influence mine proved one of the most effective 
“secret weapons” of the present war. This de¬ 
velopment taxed the ingenuity of the United 
Nations both defensively and offensively. To¬ 
day, we have out-stripped the enemy in types 
and effectiveness of mines. 

After initial training a Mine Assembly Offi¬ 
cer’s usual assignment is to a mining team in 
some advanced area where his job is not only to 
see that the mines are in working order, but 
where he must also be the mining “brains” of 
that theater. He picks the target, he determines 
the type and number of mines that would be 
most effective against that target, he briefs the 
air crews on the mines they are to carry and 
where they should be laid, and he interviews 
them upon their return as to the exact spot in 
which the mines fell. 

Some Mine Assembly Officers are also as¬ 
signed to duty as Mining Officers on destroyer- 
minelayers, and aircraft carriers. 

The officer desired as a Mine Assembly Offi¬ 
cer must not only develop into a technician, but 
also must have a mature outlook and be able 
to plan and execute large scale operations. 


Naval Mine Warfare School 

Mine Assembly Officers are trained for eleven 
weeks at this school. Additional training is then 
given in the repair and maintenance of mine 
mechanisms at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory. 

Course content centers around the assembly, 
adjustment, and maintenance of all types of 
mines. 

Selection Requirements 

1. College training and/or experience in elec¬ 

trical engineering, physics, or electronics. 

2. Must be a precise, accurate worker with 

interest in mine assembly problems in¬ 
volving analytical thinking. 

3. Good mechanical aptitude. 

4. Must meet qualifying test scores. 


RESTRICTED 


13 













Pacific Armada.—Sleek and hard-hitting ships of a naval task force steam out of a Pacific harbor en route 
to a battle mission. Another Jap island fort is due for a blasting. 




14 


RESTRICTED 



DUTY ABOARD NAVAL SHIPS 


Regardless of an officer s specialty, he usually 
finds himself engaged in a great many collateral 
tasks and in qualifying as Officer of the Deck. 
An appreciation of the duties of various ships 
and craft is a useful background for the billet 
interview. 

Naval ships have widely different functions. 
These functions dictate, to large extent, the 
nature of the ship’s construction, power plant, 
and armament. To a lesser extent, these differ¬ 
ences determine the type of officer assigned to 
the vessel. The ship tends to shape the shipmate. 

The purpose of this section of the booklet is 
to sketch the functions of naval craft and ships 
to ivhich junior officers without sea experience 
are most commonly assigned. Match your own 
characteristics against the qualifications required 
by the missions which the various naval ships 
perform. 



AIRCRAFT CARRIERS 

The use of aircraft has made it possible for 
fleets to fight each other while hundreds of 
miles apart. The carriers are mobile bases for 
planes, capable of moving aircraft into striking 
distance of vast areas formerly inaccessible. 

The aircraft on carriers or carrier escorts 
have four main functions. (1) They are used 
as scouts to locate and observe enemy forces or 
watch for hostile aircraft. (2) They launch 
initial long-range attacks against enemy forces. 
(3) Carrier planes provide our own ships with 
air protection against enemy aircraft. (4) 
Planes may be used on antisubmarine patrols 
to spot submarines from the air. 

The chief function of the carrier itself is to 
carry, launch, and handle aircraft quickly and 
effectively. The carrier must approach the 
enemy unseen at high speed, launch its planes 
for the attack, recover them, and get away. The 


carrier uses its fighters and anti-aircraft guns 
as an aid in protecting itself from enemy air 
attack. The aircraft carrier is the center of a 
modern naval air-strike unit, because of its 
long-range offensive power and its limited de¬ 
fensive ability. It is a powerful offensive 
weapon, but it cannot protect itself adequately 
alone. Carrier escorts, many of them converted 
merchant ships, sometimes form task force 
units and often accompany convoys. 

Carriers vary in size from the small 500' 
carrier escorts (CVE’s) to 888' carriers (CV’s), 
the largest vessels used by the Navy. Carrier 
escorts displace from 7,000 to 13,000 tons, large 
carriers from 25,000 to 45,000 tons. They may 
carry eighty or more planes—fighters, scouts, 
bombers, and torpedo planes. 

Duty aboard an aircraft carrier or escort is 
similar to that aboard any other large ship. 
Officers stand gunnery, deck, communication or 
engineering watches and many are Junior Di¬ 
vision Officers. They work under well-trained 
officers in supervising groups of men, either 
below deck in engineering or above deck in 
gunnery or with control groups. Naval deck or 
engineering officers aboard carriers have little 
to do with the operation or handling of air¬ 
craft, although planes do add interest and often 
excitement to the daily routine. Deck officers 
interested in aviation often find this duty un¬ 
usually interesting and instructive. It is an 
excellent opportunity to gain sea experience 
under supervision. 

The number of officers aboard a carrier 
varies from thirty on a CVE to as many as 110 
on a large CV. The average CVE has 800 men 
aboard, the CV 3,000. The officers aboard a 
carrier or carrier escort are: the Commanding 
Officer, Executive Officer, the heads of the de¬ 
partments (Gunnery, Navigation, Engineering, 
Construction, Medical, Supply, and Air), a 
Communication Officer, division officers and 
assistants, and any other special officers deemed 
necessary for the operation of the carrier, such 


RESTRICTED 


15 



as CIC watch otficers, Bomb Disposal Officers, 
and Fighter Direction Officers. The Air De¬ 
partment is responsible for the administration 
and control of all aviation activities such as 
control of aircraft, overhaul and repair, intel¬ 
ligence, servicing, and aircraft gunnery. Air 
Department officers are detailed by the Bureau 
of Aeronautics. On carriers the Commanding 
Officer, Executive Officer, and Navigator all are 
naval aviators. Gunnery Officers aboard car¬ 
riers deal only with anti-aircraft guns. There 
is no main battery. 

Training for officers on aircraft carriers and 
carrier escorts is given directly aboard ship. 
New officers gain knowledge by working under 
experienced men and by observation of the 
work of others. Training is given by division 
officers to whom new officers are responsible. 
They are given instruction in the operation of 
equipment, instruments, and machinery aboard 
the carrier and are taught to supervise the 
work of men under them. They are instructed 
in the duties of watch officers and the use of 
all instruments used during watch. Officers who 
are interested in immediate duty in combat 
areas can find it on carriers or carrier escorts. 



BATTLESHIPS 

The largest, most powerful, and most heavily 
armed combatant ship in the Navy, the battle¬ 
ship, receives many new naval officers for 
training aboard ship. Its primary function is 
to aid in the complete maintenance of sea 
power: attacking enemy vessels, protecting 
troop convoys, covering landing operations, and 
shelling enemy land bases from many miles off 
shore. Officers reporting usually work under 
division officers to whom they are responsible 
and are placed in charge of the supervision and 
discipline of personnel performing specific 
duties. They are required to stand watches as 
Junior Officer of the Deck, gunnery watches, 
or engineering watches. 

Practical experience is supplemented by re¬ 
quired reading, tests, and instructional mate¬ 
rial. Because of complex machinery and equip¬ 
ment, one will find life more involved than 
aboard a small ship, his responsibilities con¬ 
fined to a smaller sphere of activity, yet his 


duties just as vital and varied. There is excel¬ 
lent opportunity for training in military com¬ 
mand and for advancement to division officer 
for one who has enthusiasm for navy customs 
and traditions and who can accept responsi¬ 
bility. The successful battleship officer is one 
who can learn from observation and “doing”, 
who takes pride in his personal appearance, 
can fit into a prescribed organizational pattern, 
and has the ability to transmit orders in con¬ 
cise language with a commanding voice. 

Life aboard any large ship is more involved 
than that aboard a smaller vessel. The machin¬ 
ery is larger and more complex. There are 
many more men, making necessary an intricate 
ship organization and firmer discipline. A naval 
officer on a battleship or a cruiser may find 
his responsibilities confined to a smaller sphere 
of activity than he would on a ship where he 
was in sole charge. He must learn to assume 
responsibility with a minimum of training. 
Duty aboard a large ship gives a new officer 
an excellent opportunity to gain seamanship 
experience under supervision. 

The chief officers on a battleship and cruiser 
are the Commanding and Executive Officers 
and the department heads—Navigation, Gun¬ 
nery, Engineering, Construction, Communica¬ 
tion, Medical, and Supply. Each of the depart¬ 
ment heads is assisted by division officers, usu¬ 
ally lieutenants, in charge of specific groups of 
officers and men. 



CRUISERS 

The cruiser, second largest combatant ship 
in the Navy, is one of our most valuable and 
versatile ships. It sacrifices the armament and 
tonnage of the battleship for the sake of speed 
and maneuverability, yet still retains sufficient 
armor and guns to attack any vessel afloat. 

The cruiser may be used in a great many 
different ways. It carries seaplanes to aid in 
patrolling and scouting. It is an important 
part of a carrier strike unit. It supports de¬ 
stroyer attacks and screens capital ships in 
fleet operations. It may be used in convoys 
to give armored protection to merchant ships. 
It engages in shore bombardment. To carry 
out this variety of tasks, the cruiser must pos¬ 
sess size, speed, maneuverability, armament. 


16 


RESTRICTED 



Amphibious Shock Troops. — Cannon-firing alligators plow toward shore. Rocket-firing Id's smother Jap 

beach defenses with explosives. 


planes, and a large cruising radius. The United 
States has three types of cruisers: CB (large 
cruiser), CA (heavy cruiser), and CL (light 
cruiser). 

The most modern heavy cruisers average 
close to 800 feet in length, displace approxi¬ 
mately 17,000 tons, have a rated speed of 32 
knots, carry nine 8" guns, a number of 5‘" 
anti-aircraft guns, four or five seaplanes (a few 
carry as many as eight), and have a cruising 
range of 14,000 miles at low speed. 

Light cruisers sacrifice size of armament for 
more guns of smaller calibre capable of a 
much higher rate and volume of fire. This 
makes the CL a particularly deadly close range 
ship and a highly effective night fighter. Most 
light cruisers carry two or four seaplanes. The 
new 6,000 ton light cruisers carry torpedoes 
and extra small guns. 

Large cruisers (CB) are new to the Navy. 
They are practically battleships in tonnage 
and armament, displacing approximately 23,- 
000 tons and are equipped with 12" guns. 

AMPHIBIOUS CRAFT 

Amphibious craft and amphibious warfare 
are as revolutionary and important additions 
to naval science as were gunpowder, the rifled 


cannon, steam, steel ships, the torpedo, the 
airplane, and aircraft carriers. 

In present day warfare the advance of 
armies, assault of land objectives, the establish¬ 
ing of beachheads, and the progressive carry¬ 
ing of war to the home land of the enemy 
are impossible without a strong amphibious 
force. Without exception, the speed of an 
advance can be traced directly to the amphibi¬ 
ous craft which make such advance possible. 
In conjunction with other combatant forces 
the amphibious craft round out the Navy’s 
attack upon the fourth dimension—the land. 
The rate of expansion and the nature of the 
duty makes this part of the naval service a 
field which is adapted to, and which requires, 
young energetic officers. Young officers in the 
Amphibious Forces are given broad opportun¬ 
ity to exercise resourcefulness and to demon¬ 
strate ability in a field which is new to the 
Navy, yet which has earned full recognition 
in terms of both strategic and tactical im¬ 
portance. 

Until the last enemy-held shore is reduced 
and the last American has landed in combat 
it will be the amphibious force which will 
do the job of delivering the right men to the 
right place at the right time. 


RESTRICTED 


17 






LANDING SHIP TANK 

The LST is one of the newer types of ship 
grouped under the term “amphibious”. The 
ship is manned by seven to nine officers and 
one hundred six enlisted men. The ship is over 
three hundred feet in length, and is ocean¬ 
going. Construction is on the order of a tanker. 
Small underwater compartmentation makes 
the ship extremely difficult to sink. Accom¬ 
modations are roomy. When unloaded, the 
crew can play basketball in the hold and have 
plenty of room to spare. Armament is for brisk 
defensive action. 

The primary function of the ship is to trans¬ 
port tanks and vehicles and to land them 
on a beachhead. In practice, however, any and 
all types of cargo are transported by LST’s 
(including service as troopships). The LST, 
in addition, transports a variety of smaller 
landing craft to points within striking dis¬ 
tance of an objective. One of these craft, the 
LCT, is large enough to carry several medium 
tanks under its own power. The LCT is 
launched from the deck posts of an LST by 
flooding the compartments of the larger ship 
to produce a list sufficient to slide the LCT 
beam on into the sea. Normally, the LST does 
not approach hostile beaches with the initial 
assault waves. More commonly it carries ashore 
heavy armored support and miscellaneous ma¬ 
terial needed to supply and reinforce the initial 
landing parties after the beachhead is rela¬ 
tively secure. 

Once landings are accomplished the LST is 
frequently employed as a supply ship. It may 
return many times to the same beach loaded 
with supplies and equipment to aid combat 
forces ashore. Another function to which the 
LST has proved well adapted is the removal 
of wounded and prisoners of war to ports of 
embarkation. 

When engaged in landing operations, LST’s 
maneuver in conjunction with a variety of com¬ 
bat ships, auxiliary vessels, and a host of sister 
landing craft. The operational demands upon 
officers and crew require the exercise of inge¬ 
nuity, a basic understanding of tactical maneu¬ 
vers, and competent ship and cargo handling. 



LANDING SHIP MEDIUM 

The LSM was conceived and constructed as 
the result of operational experience gained 
with other type's of landing craft. Consequent¬ 
ly, it is not strange that it should embody 
characteristics of several. Actually, the LSM 
is a composite of the LST, LCI, LCT. The ship 
has a complement of four officers and forty 
eight men. Over-all length is about 200 feet and 
beam 34 feet. 

The primary function of the ship is closely 
allied to that of the LST; to transport tanks 
and to land them directly on a beach. As is 
true of the LST, many other assignments come 
its way, including transporting of troops and 
serving as lighters for heavier cargo vessels. 
The LSM has proved a valuable addition to 
the amphibious family because of its maneu¬ 
verability, shallow draft, and its ability to 
discharge its load and to retract from the beach 
more rapidly than larger landing ships. 

In operations, the LSM acts in conjunction 
with fleet combatant ships, auxiliaries, other 
landing craft, and is involved closely in army 
liaison. Since all duties fall upon the shoulders 
of four officers, versatility, ingenuity, and re¬ 
sourcefulness are required. 



LANDING CRAFT INFANTRY (LARGE) 

The Landing Craft Infantry, Large LCI(L) 
is 157 feet long, has a maximum speed of 
16 knots, and a complement of 3 officers and 
25 men. One junior officer additional is com¬ 
monly assigned to each ship. 

The primary function of this type is to serve 
as a troop carrier for ferrying troops over 
distances which can be covered in relatively 
short periods. Although the LCI is the smallest 
ocean crossing craft of the amphibious family, 
it is designed to carry more than 200 soldiers 
in addition to her own complement. Earlier 
models discharged shore combat units by means 
of side ramps which were lowered as soon 
as the craft hit the beach. Later models have 
abandoned the side ramps and now discharge 
troops through bow doors which open like 
those of an LST. Additional redesign features 


18 


RESTRICTED 



include a rounded pilot house (in place of 
square blockhouse type) and a redistribution 
of armament and alteration of ship interior. 

Following initial landings for the purpose 
of carrying reinforcements to beachheads (sup¬ 
plies as well as personnel), secondary uses 
made of the LCI are to evacuate troops from 
forward areas and to act as salvage craft. 

Duty on an LCI requires good basic sea¬ 
manship qualities, knowledge of tactical ma¬ 
neuvers, and liaison work with shore combat 
units. Smart aggressive teamwork accom¬ 
plishes the objective of hitting the beach at 
the right time, discharging combat troops 
rapidly, and retracting handily to make way 
for successive assault waves. 

The Commanding Officer has collateral duty 
as Navigator and Communication Officer, the 
Executive Officer is in charge of Gunnery, 
Supply, and the Construction and Repair De¬ 
partment, the Engineering Officer handles en¬ 
gineering and commissary responsibilities. 

LANDING CRAFT SUPPORT (LARGE) 

The Landing Craft Support, Large, Mark 3, 
LCS (L-3), is a modified LCI (L). A large 
number of these have been constructed for 
use as close fire support gunboats. They are 
variously armed to produce the desired volume 
and type of fire. These craft are miniature 
battleships—their armament in relation to ton- 
age is great. The LCS serves a dual purpose: 

(1) to support beach landings by standing 
close in to hostile shores and bringing arma¬ 


ment to bear upon opposition strongpoints, and 
(2) to engage in barge and small craft hunting 
operations. 

Collateral duties performed by the Landing 
Craft Support include: traffic control, anti-air¬ 
craft support, and salvage work. A limited 
number of officers are chosen from among 
those with LCI experience. The duty requires 
longer training and more technical competence 
than is demanded in related amphibious craft. 
The officer complement is five in number and 
includes a specialist in gunnery and a specialist 
in communications. 


ICT(5) LCT(6) 



LANDING CRAFT TANK 

The Landing Craft Tank (LCT Mark 5 and 
Mark 6) is a 105 foot tank lighter. It is de¬ 
signed to load five or six medium tanks. The 
crew is composed of one officer and 12 enlisted 
men. It was an LCT which earned the honor 
of being the first American landing craft to 
shoot down an enemy plane. 

Normally, LCT’s travel in concert shep¬ 
herded by protected fleet units. They are de¬ 
signed for relatively short distance transport, 
yet scores of them made the trip from North 
Africa to Sicily through heavy sea and hit the 
beach on time. 

■ When not engaged in tank transport, the 
LCT serves as a capable workhorse. It is well 
adapted to use as a lighter. 



Objective: Bed Beach 


RESTRICTED 


19 




ATTACK BOATS 

The coordination of the movements of scores 
of small craft operating at high speed under 
combat conditions is one of the operational 
problems peculiar to the amphibious forces. 
There are associated problems of organization 
too, which revolve around the loading and un¬ 
loading of troops and equipment in ship to 
shore operations. 

To meet this problem, the amphibious forces 
have developed a flotilla organization which 
trains as a team in all phases of amphibious 
duty. Once trained, such flotilla organizations 
are capable of embarking, together with their 
craft, aboard a convoy of troop transports, 
and accomplishing an entire amphibious land¬ 
ing operation for the thousands of troops in¬ 
volved. Such a flotilla organization is similarly 
available to be sent as a pool to operational 
areas where it may perform local assignments 
as a group or be drawn upon as a replacement 
pool for other flotilla organizations. 

The Flotilla Commander is usually a Lieu¬ 
tenant Commander. He heads a flotilla sub¬ 
divided under him into three boat groups, each 
headed by a Lieutenant. Each Boat Group 
Commander subdivides the attack boats under 
his command into three assistant boat group 
commands, each headed by a Lieutenant (jg). 
Each Assistant Boat Group Commander sub¬ 
divides responsibility among four division of¬ 
ficers. Each Division Officer has three crews 
of four men each under his immediate com¬ 
mand. 

"^Such duty is obviously active in character, 
and guarantees close contact with the enemy. 

AUXILIARIES 

A Navy to win battles must have more than 
warships. No ship, however powerful, can re¬ 
main in battle without fuel, ammunition, sup¬ 
plies, and repair. No battle in distant countries 
can be fought unless troops are carried over¬ 
seas. Standing by the combatant ships ready 
to furnish them at all times with men and 
materials they need, are the innumerable and 
varied auxiliaries—cargo ships, transports, re¬ 
pair ships, ammunition ships, hospital ships, 
tankers, store ships, tenders, salvage ships, 
tugs, rescue ships, and many others. Auxiliary 
ships have practically no idle moments. What¬ 
ever the state of the war, during major en¬ 
gagements or during lulls in action, auxiliary 


ships continue to deliver men and supplies to 
bases and combat areas. In addition to serving 
as the work horses of the fleet, auxiliary ves¬ 
sels may see an uncommon amount of action. 
At the present time, for example, one APA 
has already engaged in 17 combat actions dur¬ 
ing the two and one half years which have 
elapsed since its launching. 

Auxiliary vessels are attached to Base Forces 
to provide mobility for equipment, supplies, 
and trained personnel. From Base Forces, aux¬ 
iliaries may be sent to battle as part of Battle 
or Scouting Forces. They are ready to swing 
into action with any part of the fleet. 

Auxiliary duty is not glamorous. It is hard 
grueling work, often packed with excitement 
under attack. In the performance of their mis¬ 
sions, men on auxiliary ships almost invariably 
see action in combat zones. They travel over 
wide areas and spend much time at sea. Aux¬ 
iliary ships seldom receive publicity or glory, 
but because of their jobs, many battles are 
won. They carry armament to protect them¬ 
selves and can inflict heavy damage on the 
enemy. 

AKA —The combat-loaded cargo ship is the 
most important of the cargo class. It is well- 
armed and well-manned. It carries landing and 
amphibious equipment and the necessary items 
incident to large scale operations. These ships 
are generally attached to amphibious forces 
and operate in combat zones. Highly-trained 
young men are required due to the nerve-rack¬ 
ing strain of long hours under continuous at¬ 
tack. 

AKS —The cargo storeship carries general 
stores, is lightly-armed, and spends much time 
at sea but not usually near combat zones. 

AKN —The net transport, a lightly-armed 
ship, carries anti-torpedo and submarine nets 
and personnel with net training to set up 
net protection where needed. This is heavy 
work, requiring physically strong officers used 
to handling men engaged in manual labor. 

AKV —The AKV is a lightly-armed cargo 
vessel which carries airplanes. 



AR REPAIR SHIP 


20 


RESTRICTED 






Combat-Loaded Transport 

AF —The storeship carries mainly refrig¬ 
erated supplies, meats and food. It is lightly- 
armed, and its chief function is to keep ships 
and stations supplied. It spends much time 
at sea but not usually near combat areas. 

AE —Ammunition ships carry ammunition 
and supplies where needed. They are usually 
conveniently near the fleets in battle areas. 
This is hazardous duty. Ships are well-armed. 

AP —Well-armed transports vary in size from 
very small 2,000 ton ships to 40,000 tonners. 
Their primary duty is the transporting of 
troops to distribution centers. Men on trans¬ 
ports probably see more of the ocean than 
crews on any other type of vessel. They do not 
usually operate in combat zones, but are sought 
by submarines and long range aircraft and 
must be well-armed for protection. 

APA —Combat-loaded transports are the most 
vital of the transport class. They are well 
armed. They often operate with the AKA’s 
(combat- loaded cargo ships). These ships ob¬ 
tain troops from various centers, carry them 
to the scene of operations, and land complete 
combat units. Men on these ships spend much 
time at sea and see plenty of action. This is 
duty which requires young officers with enough 
nerve and stamina to stand the heavy strain 
of long hours of work coupled with continuous 
attack. 


APH —The hospital transport acts with the 
AP and APA in carrying troops to combat 
areas and landing them, but is equipped as a 
hospital ship and becomes such immediately 
upon completion of landing operations. It is 
a lightly-armed, rather small ship, which gets 
into many strange places. 

AH —The hospital ship is fully equipped and 
staffed as a floating hospital. It has no arma¬ 
ment, is painted white, and operates at night 
with identification lights. This is a vitally 
necessary type of ship, the importance of 
which is recognized and respected. 

AO —Large oil tankers are among the most 
important auxiliaries. Their duty is to carry 
fuel oil to the ships of the fleet, and to trans¬ 
port such fuel at sea or in port, and at any 
time of day or night. They are well-armed, 
hard-working ships which spend much time 
at sea. They are targets for submarines and 
aircraft but travel well escorted. A good ex¬ 
ample of the miracles expected of the ships of 
supply is afforded by the experience of one 
tanker. A violent typhoon which persisted for 
many hours resulted in the sinking of several 
destroyers and other ships. During the height 
of the typhoon an oil tanker successfully man¬ 
aged the refueling of combatant ships, and 
overcame by expert seamanship and ingenuity 
the problems incident to snapping hose lines 
and the battering of side plates. 

AOG —Gasoline tankers vary in size from 
small craft to moderately-sized tankers. Their 
function is similar to that of oilers. This is 
dangerous duty requiring men who can ma¬ 
neuver with precision. 

AD — Moderately-armed destroyer tenders 
operate with destroyer divisions to repair, sup¬ 
ply, and sometimes fuel destroyers. Men on 
these ships spend little time at sea but the 
duty is interesting. 

AS —The submarine tender performs similar 
duties for the submarine. Personnel acquainted 
with submarines are required. 

AV —The seaplane tenders act as mobile 
bases for patrol seaplanes and aviation activi- 



AP TRANSPORT *0 OILER 


RESTRICTED 


21 







ties. They often perform emergency repair for 
planes. These well-armed ships are usually 
among the first ships in a new area and are 
an object of enemy attack if they can be 
reached. 

AVP —Small seaplane tenders operate far out 
in front of all other units, usually working 
from an AV. They have destroyer hulls, a 
good speed, and are heavily armed for their 
size. When not tending planes they perform 
duties as escorts and patrol craft. They often 
operate from little-known islands. 

AR—Repair ships are lightly-armed ships 
manned with highly specialized personnel. They 
operate behind the lines to furnish repairs and 
emergency upkeep for all types of ships. They 
do not spend much time at sea. This is excel¬ 
lent training, particularly for engineers. 

AGC —Communication Headquarters Ships 
contain a mass of communications equipment 
with large accommodations for a headquarters 
unit. They are lightly-armed and serve as cen¬ 
ters of operations. 

ASS —Hydrographic survey ships see more 
of the remote corners of the world than any 
other type. Intelligent officers with background 
of hydrographic work are required. An amus¬ 
ing but characteristic illustration of this type 
of service is told of one hydrographic survey 
ship which was engaged in checking the accur¬ 
acy of charts covering relatively remote sea 
areas. The ship approached a pinnacle reef 
which was charted as fifteen feet below the 
surface. The lead line revealed the true depth 
at 10 feet. The commanding officer of the 
ship solved the discrepancy by blowing 5 feet 
off the pinnacle rock with a depth charge. 

LSD —The Landing Ship Dock is a large aux¬ 
iliary designed to assist directly in prosecuting 
amphibious assaults. This 13,000 ton ship is 
460 feet in length with a beam of 72 feet and 
a rated speed of 17 knots. Its physical appear¬ 
ance is unique—the LSD has a stack on each 
side, a cut-away whaler stern with ramp, and 
high freeboard in the forward midship section. 
The ship is semi-submersible. It releases com¬ 
bat-loaded landing craft by submerging a deck 
and floating out its load of craft from a stern 
ramp. Its anti-aircraft armament of 40mm and 
20mm guns is liberal—in addition, a 5 " 38 
calibre gun serves as a dual-purpose piece. 

The officer complement includes 14 line of¬ 
ficers in addition to a variable number of boat 


officers and cargo officers. The usual depart¬ 
ment heads are assisted by Watch Officers— 
junior officers assigned as assistants to depart¬ 
ment heads or as boat officers. One of the en¬ 
gineering department officers is a specialist 
in charge of submerging operations. The officer 
complement is composed largely of experienced 
officers drawn from amphibious ships. The 
LSD does not serve as a repair ship, does not 
perform lighterage functions, and does not 
serve as a pier or dock for other ships or 
craft. 

LSV—This 10,000 ton ship is a conversion 
from a cruiser hull. It is heavily armed with &" 
38 calibre guns (centered) and plenty of anti¬ 
aircraft guns. This ship is equipped with a 
stern ramp but is not submersible. Its func¬ 
tion is to transport armed vehicles to invasion 
beaches. The vehicles are combat loaded, and 
the drivers and mechanics travel aboard and 
roll the alligators, ducks, etc., out the stern 
once the objective is reached. The crew and 
officer complement compares closely with that 
of an LSD. 



PORTER 


DESTROYERS 

The destroyer is one of our hardest, most 
versatile, and fastest fighting ships. The de¬ 
stroyer is a mandatory component of all task 
forces. Its torpedo attack enables it to spear¬ 
head offensive engagements as well as to dis¬ 
organize the attacks of enemy forces. The use 
of this deadly weapon makes it a powerful 
threat to larger vessels, including battleships 
and carriers. The effective surface and anti¬ 
aircraft armament of the destroyer enables 
the ship to participate in combat as a fleet 
unit capable of decisive firepower. Its maneu¬ 
verability, shallow draft, and speed are excel¬ 
lently adapted to shore bombardment missions. 
As an anti-submarine vessel (for both attack 
and screening purposes) the destroyer excels. 
In addition, this versatile vessel performs a 
host of utility duties, including rescue of 
downed aviators, picking up of survivors, and 
the transport of troops. 

Modern destroyers vary considerably in size 
and armament. The newer classes are 2250 
tons or better, are about 350 feet in length 


22 


RESTRICTED 


;r 



Pacific Destroyer.—Fighter and escort 


and have a rated speed of 35 knots or better. 
The ship is equipped with 5" main batteries, 
many 40mm and 20mm mounts for anti-air¬ 
craft protection, depth charge and other ASW 
weapons, and torpedo tubes (5 to 12). Arma¬ 
ment may vary widely from ship to ship. Many 
of the older classes of destroyers have been 
rearmed completely. 

The destroyer has no armor for protection 
against gunfire and torpedoes. It relies upon 
its speed, maneuverability, and shallow draft. 
Once hit, it may be damaged fatally. 

In general, life aboard a destroyer is rugged, 
particularly in rough weather. Living condi¬ 
tions are crowded and duty exacting. Great 
responsibility is thrust upon the junior officer 
and his days are busy and trying. However, 
officers assigned to destroyer duty have an 
almost certain opportunity of facing action in 
combat zones and capable junior officers may 
become heads of departments within one year 
of reporting aboard. 

The usual destroyer complement is from 
twelve to twenty-four officers and over three 
hundred men. Billets aboard the ship are usu¬ 
ally the Commanding Officer (Commander or 
Lieutenant Commander with destroyer experi¬ 
ence), Executive Officer (Lieutenant Com¬ 
mander or Lieutenant). Gunnery Officer, En¬ 
gineering Officer, First Lieutenant, Sound Of¬ 
ficer, Communication Officer, Torpedo Officer, 


and junior officers. Junior officers act as as¬ 
sistants to the more senior officers, stand junior 
officer of the deck watches; gun control, CIC, 
and coding watches; man key battle stations 
in their departments; and assist in personnel 
administration, maintenance and upkeep duties, 
and training of the complement. 

The nature of the duty requires officers who 
have the ability to react quickly and efficiently 
in emergencies, who can endure physical strain 
with minimum rest, and who have the capacity 
to absorb much technical information inform¬ 
ally and quickly. Some junior officers are sent 
direct as fleet replacements to older type de¬ 
stroyers—others are given more extensive pre- 
parational training and are assigned to new 
construction. The latter are selected from offi¬ 
cers in training on the basis of aptitude, inter¬ 
est, and performance while under instruction. 



DESTROYER ESCORTS 

The destroyer escort, one of the newer ships 
in the Navy, has made a name for itself. 
Early in the present war, the need was acute 
for an anti-submarine vessel which could win 
the battle against the U-boats in the Atlantic. 


RESTRICTED 


23 




The existing anti-submarine craft were not 
suited to extended operations at sea and de¬ 
stroyers were needed desperately for fleet op¬ 
erations. The answer to this need was the 
destroyer escort, a type that could be built 
quickly in large numbers, yet fulflll all the 
requirements for escort of convoy, patrol, and 
hunter-killer operations. 

The contribution of this ship to the winning 
of the Battle of the Atlantic is now history. 
It proved itself an ideal anti-submarine war¬ 
fare ship. Its sound and electronic search ap¬ 
paratus, its use of traditional and ahead- 
thrown underwater weapons, its potent anti¬ 
aircraft armament, and its sea keeping ability 
combined to defeat convoy raiders from under¬ 
sea and overhead. In the Pacific, the destroyer 
escort earned new laurels in fleet operations. 
Surface guns and torpedo tubes made it a 
ship to be respected by enemy surface craft. 
The use of the destroyer escort as a screening 
ship for amphibious task forces and for car¬ 
rier escorts further evidenced its versatility. 

The average destroyer escort is about 300 
feet long and displaces from 1300 to 1700 tons. 
There are twelve officers aboard: (1) Com¬ 
manding Officer, (2) Executive Officer and 
Navigator, (3) First Lieutenant and Damage 
Control Officer, (4) Gunnery Officer, (5) En¬ 
gineering Officer, (6) Communication Officer, 
(7) Radar and CIC Officer, (8) Sonar Officer, 
(9) Assistant Gunnery Officer (Torpedo Offi¬ 
cer), (10) Assistant Engineering Officer, (11) 
Assistant First Lieutenant, and, (12) Supply 
Officer. 

One of the most important posts aboard a 
destroyer escort is that of Anti-Submarine 
Warfare Officer. He directs and trains sound¬ 
men, the attack team, and supervises the care 
of ASW equipment. His knowledge of sonar 
equipment, weapons, and methods of attack 
must be well rounded. 



DISTRICT CRAFT AND SMALL AUXILIARIES 

Among the hardest working ships in the 
Navy are the small auxiliaries and the district 
harbor craft. Since they are not primarily 
fighting ships, they are, for the most part, 
unarmed. Despite their small dimensions, how¬ 
ever, the numerous tasks which they perform 
in continental and overseas harbors, sea fron¬ 
tiers, convoys, amphibious forces, and task 
forces, make them invaluable. 

Vessels of the Navy may be either in com¬ 
mission or in service. Commissioned ships are 
usually assigned to fleet commands. In-service 
vessels are normally assigned to a shore-based 
activity under the control of the Commandant, 
who designates the officers-in-charge and ex¬ 
ercises many of the powers usually vested in 
the Commanding Officer of a commissioned 
vessel. Many of the small auxiliaries are in 
commission—others are in-service. District 
craft whose designations usually begin with 
the letter “Y”, are generally in-service vessels, 
although some of the large “Y” craft have been 
placed in commission. 

Officers assigned to duty aboard commis¬ 
sioned vessels are sent to specific ships or to 
fleet commands for further assignment. Those 
sent to in-service craft are usually under the 
authority of the Commandants of Naval Dis¬ 
tricts, who take charge of their assignment 
and training. Duty on small commissioned aux¬ 
iliaries gives new officers excellent opportun¬ 
ities for training in seamanship under supervi¬ 
sion. Capable officers can rise quickly to posi¬ 
tions of responsibility and command on these 
smaller ships. 

Among the important small auxiliaries in 
commission to which new officers may be as¬ 
signed are the following: 

APc—103 ft. coastal transports. These ships 
are designed for transport work close to shore, 
and many have been assigned to flotillas operat- 



24 


RESTRICTED 

















ing with amphibious forces. They have an offi¬ 
cial complement of three officers. 

—183 ft. and 200 ft. salvage ships. A 
comparatively new class of ship, the ARS is 
a specialist vessel. In addition to its regular 
complement (which includes three commission¬ 
ed and two warrant officers) it has a crew 
of salvage experts, headed by two trained 
salvage officers. Its regular crew must be com¬ 
petent seamen, trained in towing and fire-fight¬ 
ing work. 

ATF —Ocean-going fieet tugs. Over 200 feet 
in length and 1,000 tons displacement, they 
can engage in towing duties on the high seas 
and accompany convoys and task forces of the 
fleet. They are prepared for fire-fighting, sal¬ 
vage, or any other rescue operations required. 
Although lightly armed, they may see plenty 
of action. Rugged and competent seamen are 
required for this duty. 

ATA & ATR —143 ft. and 165 ft. rescue tugs. 
These are designed to relieve the ocean-going 
tugs of duties close to shore. Two commis¬ 
sioned and two warrant officers complete the 
complement in addition to the Commanding 
Officer. 

YDG’s —Degaussing ships. Because their du¬ 
ties are special, they carry degaussing special¬ 
ists, with one or more deck officers who are 
responsible for the actual operation of the ship. 

AN —151 ft. and 165 ft. net tenders. Lightly 
armed and manned by specially trained per¬ 
sonnel, these ships are used to lay and tend 
anti-submarine nets protecting harbor en¬ 
trances and fleet anchorages at home and over¬ 
seas. 

YO —Fuel oil barges. Although the majority 
of this class and all the new YO’s are in-service 
vessels with a Boatswain as officer-in-charge, 
there are about twelve YO’s in commission 
captained by commissioned officers. 

PY's —(large converted yachts) and PYc’s 
(coastal yachts) are now used largely for spe¬ 


cial duties as school ships or experimental 
ships. Some are still used for patrol, weather, 
and guard duties. PE’s (World War I Eagle 
Boats) are used as school ships or for towing 
targets. 

IX—The IX classification stands for miscel¬ 
laneous, unclassified ships. An IX may be from 
100 to 400 feet in length, it may be in com¬ 
mission or in service, and it may be anything 
from a ferry-boat to a mobile storage ship. 
Whatever its size or its function, an IX per¬ 
forms valuable service, and its officers are given 
opportunities for advaficement to positions of 
responsibility. 

DISTRICT AUXILIARY AND 
LOCAL DEFENSE CRAFT 

There are about forty types of ships bear¬ 
ing a “Y” designation. Most officers on these 
ships are assigned to the shore activity to 
which the ships are attached. Duty aboard 
these ships gives excellent training for new 
officers without sea experience. Some well-qual¬ 
ified officers from the Districts may be as¬ 
signed, after a period of practical experience, 
to the smaller ships of the fleet—small aux¬ 
iliaries, patrol and escort vessels, and amphi¬ 
bious craft. 

The principal type of district craft on which 
new officers serve is the YP, district patrol 
vessel. Although some YP’s, chiefly in the 
Pacific, are in commission, the great majority 
are in service, attached to Naval Districts. For 
the most part, they are armed craft under 120 
feet in length and were taken over early in 
the war for use as patrol craft. Some officers 
aboard these ships may be assigned later to 
patrol and escort vessels of the fleet. 

Officers may also be assigned by District 
Commandants to YNg’s (gate vessels), from 
which they may be assigned to net tenders, 
or to YT’s (harbor tugs) where they can 



RESTRICTED 


25 






















qualify for duty aboard fleet tugs, or to the 
in-service YO’s, YF’s (covered lighters), and 
YAG’s (unclassified yard craft). 

MINECRAFT 

Numerous minecraft are required to protect 
our own ports, coastal waters, and sea lanes 
through mipesweeping operations as well as to 
harass the enemy by minelaying operations. 
The minecraft is a combatant ship, hence it is 
found in battle fleets. Many minecraft special¬ 
ize either as a sweeper or a layer. Others are 
dual purpose—designed for offensive as well 
as defensive mine warfare. Certain minecraft 
are so versatile that mine warfare activity 
may become collateral rather than prime duty. 
The AM type, for example, is excellently equip¬ 
ped for anti-submarine warfare and is fre¬ 
quently used for convoy escort. Similarly, the 
DMS and DM classes of sweepers and layers 
perform general destroyer duties when not 
engaged in mine warfare missions. 

The most numerous minesweepers are the 
YMS type (136' wooden-hulled motor mine¬ 
sweepers), the steel hulled AM type (special 
fleet type sweepers 180' and 220'), and the 
DMS type (converted destroyers). Practically 
all of these types are in service outside the 
continental limits of the country. 

The latest DMS is a conversion of the 1630 
ton class destroyer. It is used primarily in 
conjunction with the fleet to perform high 
speed sweeping operations preliminary to in¬ 
vasions or to clear areas through which in¬ 
vasion forces must pass en route to the objec¬ 
tive. The latest DM type is a conversion of 
the 2200 ton destroyer class. As a minelayer, 
this ship slips into enemy controlled waters 
during periods of low visibility, sows mine 
fields at strategic points across enemy ship¬ 
ping lanes, and withdraws silently. The suc¬ 
cess of such an operation is dependent upon 
escaping enemy detection. Careful planning 
and expert seamanship are required to per¬ 
form such missions under cover and to effect 
a withdrawal without falling victim to the 
mines sowed by companion ships. Both the 
DMS and DM are equivalent to DD’s in arma¬ 
ment. In addition to the usual destroyer officer 
complement, these types carry a Mining Officer. 
Officers and men are given special training in 
the loading and laying of mines. 


The AMc type (small wooden-hulled coastal 
sweeps) and converted trawlers are assigned 
to Naval Districts and serve as patrol boats 
and minesweepers in district waters. The typi¬ 
cal AMc has three officers: Commanding Offi¬ 
cer, Executive Officer, and Engineering Officer. 
The YMS has a fourth junior officer. The larger 
AM has nine officers: Commanding Officer, Ex¬ 
ecutive Officer, First Lieutenant, Engineering 
Officer, Gunnery Officer, Communication Offi¬ 
cer, Sound Officer, Commissary and Supply 
Officer, and one Warrant Boatswain. 

All of these officers perform general duties 
and stand deck watches in addition to admin¬ 
istering their departments. They assist in mine¬ 
sweeping operations, supervise the mainten¬ 
ance and operation of technical gear, and assist 
in the processing of communications. Success¬ 
ful performance of minesweeping and mine¬ 
laying operations requires high standards of 
seamanship. Mechanical and electrical back¬ 
grounds in the way of training or experience 
are helpful. 

PATROL VESSELS 

The submarine continuously threatens Unit¬ 
ed States shipping in our far-flung convoy 
lanes as well as in the waters of the western 
hemisphere. The task of patroling is the job 
of our small patrol ships and submarine chasers 
in all the active theatres of the war. In addi¬ 
tion, the patrol vessels are used in all am¬ 
phibious operations, both as control vessels 
and for screening operations. The patrol craft 
(PC's) and motor gunboats (PGM’s) are used 
in some theatres for maintaining a blockade. 

The chief patrol ships used by the Navy 
are steelhulled PG’s (Corvette), PCE’s 
PCE(R)’s, and PC’s; woodenhulled PCS’s and 
SC’s; and PGM’s—steelhulled 173' class and 
woodenhulled 110' class, as motor gunboats for 
blockades and anti-barge patrol. The PCE (R) ’s, 
in addition to escort assignment, are used to 
pick up survivors from sunken ships and to 
evacuate wounded personnel from beachheads. 
The ship’s complement provides for a doctor 
and sufficient number of pharmacist mates so 
as to give the necessary medical care and 
treatment before the wounded are transferred 
to a base hospital. The PG’s (Corvette) and 
PCE’s are used for escort duties. The PCE’s 
are further used as control vessels, and some 


26 


RESTRICTED 


are specially equipped to perform additional 
operating assignments as weather ships. 

Patrol craft are ideal sub chasers because 
of their great maneuverability. Small and man¬ 
ageable, they can swing themselves into posi¬ 
tion to drop depth charges and to fire anti¬ 
aircraft guns effectively, meanwhile making 
themselves exceedingly poor targets for hostile 
submarines and planes. 

One PC has furnished an example of the 
maneuverability and effectiveness of these 
ships. This small patrol chaser, engaged in 
escort duty somewhere in the North Pacific, 
sighted a Japanese submarine a short dis¬ 
tance ahead. The PC, firing with its small 
calibre anti-aircraft guns, prevented the Japan¬ 
ese from using their deck guns. After drop¬ 
ping depth charges in a shallow pattern, she 
turned straight into the submarine. She ram¬ 
med the enemy sub once, then swung at full 
speed and rammed it again, meanwhile blast¬ 
ing with her forward gun. The enemy sub¬ 
marine was split open, tried to surface, and 
was sunk. This feat was possible only because 
of the great maneuverability of the PC plus 
the courage and skill of her crew. 

The PG, PCE and PCE(R) have an official 
officer complement of six officers but usually 
carry nine aboard. In general, the duties and 
qualifications of these officers are the same 
as those aboard DE’s. These may vary as needs 
vary. 

The officers aboard may be: (1) and (2) 
Commanding and Executive Officers (taken 
from duty afloat—usually Lieutenants), (3) 


First Lieutenant, (4) Gunnery Officer, (5) 
Communication Officer, (6) Anti-Submarine 
Warfare Officer, (7) Engineering Officer, (8) 
and (9) two Junior Officers. Officers without 
prior sea duty may be assigned as any officer 
but the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer 
and Phrst Lieutenant. The Engineering Officer 
should have completed Diesel Engineering 
School. 

The PC and PGM—173' class have official 
complement of five officers. They are: (1) and 
(2) Commanding and Executive Officers (from 
duty afloat—usually Lieutenants or Lieuten¬ 
ants (jg) ), (3) one Junior Officer with spe¬ 
cialized engineering training, (4) and (5) two 
other Junior Officers. 

The PCS carries four officers: (1) and (2) 
Commanding and Executive Officers (from 
duty afloat—Lieutenants or Lieutenants, junior 
grade), (3) and (4) two Junior Officers, one 
usually with specialized engineering training. 

The SC and PCM—110' Class have three 
officers, the Commanding and Executive Offi¬ 
cers, and a Junior Officer. Any one of the 
three may act as engineer. 

Officers assigned to duty in the foregoing 
type vessels have to administer one or more 
departments, and periodically their assign¬ 
ments are rotated so that upon completing a 
normal tour of duty in this class of vessel, 
the officer is well-founded and trained in the 
administration of all departments of a com¬ 
missioned vessel. Further, he has qualified to 
stand an independent deck watch in port and 
under way in these vessels. 



Ships of war, ships of burden, and ships of mercy gather against the foe. 


RESTRICTED 


27 






VOLUNTEER DUTIES 


Volunteer duties are of three types: extra- 
hazardous, hazardous, and special. Extra-haz¬ 
ardous duties are so classified because they are 
dangerous, require individual initiative to high 
degree, and demand unquestioning courage. As 
compensating factors, these duties usually allow 
extra pay and other awards. 

Hazardous duties are less dangerous. Al¬ 
though the situations which develop in the line 
of duty are potentially hazardous, disaster is 
more frequently due to a slip or miscalculation 
than to enemy action. 

Special programs include duties which are 
classified as volunteer primarily for reasons 
other than danger. Special volunteer duties fre¬ 
quently require officers with highly specialized 
backgrounds, demand that interest and enthu¬ 
siasm be maintained at high level, and require 
constant application during arduous training 
programs. 

Each candidate for volunteer duty must sign 
a statement that he understands the nature of the 
duty and desires to volunteer. This signed state¬ 
ment is attached, to, and forwarded with, the 
Duty Recommendation Form, NavPers 2100 at 
the regular time for submitting these forms to 
the Bureau of Naval Personnel. This statement 
is then filed by the Bureau in the officer s per¬ 
manent record jacket. 

SPECIAL AMPHIBIOUS PROGRAMS 

The period immediately prior to, and im¬ 
mediately following an invasion of an enemy 
held coast creates special problems which must 
be handled by teams of officers and men who 
have been trained for the accomplishment of 
specific missions. An officer who requests such 
duty is assigned to the command of a unit 
which carries out important reconnaisance mis¬ 
sions for information regarding the disposi¬ 
tion, size, and mobility of enemy concentra¬ 
tions. Such units may be called upon to go 
ashore independently in enemy-held territory. 
The nature of such missions is invariably 
secret. 


An intensive training program of about three 
months usually precedes assignment to the 
duty. Concentrated and practical instruction 
is given in small boat operations, seamanship, 
piloting, engineering, signaling, radio, scout¬ 
ing, and commando tactics. Great emphasis is 
placed upon physical conditioning and swim¬ 
ming. 

In the selection of officers for this duty, 
physical and psychological fitness are stressed 
—academic competence is secondary. Officers 
are needed who are alert, have good command 
qualities of voice and action, are self-reliant, 
ingenious, and responsible. A good sense of 
balance and direction, familiarity with water 
and darkness, physical prowess and stamina, 
and a desire to meet the enemy at close quar¬ 
ters, are important qualifications. Occupational 
experience as a forester, structural or highway 
engineer, surveyor, cartographer, life guard, 
coach, or athlete will prove helpful. 

Above all, officers who request this duty 
should be courageous, seek adventure, and be 
willing to accept severe physical hardship. Rec¬ 
ognition and awards await those who have 
what this hazardous duty takes. 

BOMB DISPOSAL OFFICER 

When a bomb hits a target it may explode 
instantly, explode after a short delay, explode 
at a predetermined number of hours after im¬ 
pact, or remain unexploded but constitute a 
serious ever-present hazard until rendered safe. 
In all cases but the first, the situation is one 
for the Bomb Disposal Officer to handle. 

Some bombs are mechanical failures because 
of a flaw in the complex bomb fusing system. 
They are, nevertheless, in a highly sensitive 
condition. The UXB (unexploded bomb) is a 
hazard and must be made harmless at once. All 
bombs which fail to explode upon impact are 
assumed to be time bombs until proved other¬ 
wise. 

To combat this menace. Bomb Disposal Offi¬ 
cers are assigned to operational posts in com- 


28 


RESTRICTED 



bat areas, to all combatant ships of cruiser 
tonnage and above, fleet units, special intel¬ 
ligence posts, and in allied ordnance capacities 
within and without the continental limits. 

To dispose of unexploded ordnance in a cor¬ 
rect and safe manner requires that the Bomb 
Disposal Officer understand the construction 
of the bombs and fuses of all countries. He 
must know the general nature and extent of 
damage caused by various types of high ex¬ 
plosive bombs, their sensitivity, and power. 
He must be skilled in the use of special tools 
for disposing of all types of ordnance. He 
must have expert knowledge of booby traps 
and anti-personnel devices. 

Such a task as that of the Bomb Disposal 
Officer requires skill, judgment, intelligence, 
and patience. The skill of officers who combine 
caution and courage in the right proportions 
saves thousands of lives and millions of dollars 
worth of property. 

The duty is a volunteer duty because of the 
hazard which is always present in handling 


unexploded ordnance. Yet the pride of the 
specialists in this branch of naval service is 
that very infrequently is the life of a Bomb 
Disposal Officer lost. 


Bomb Disposal School 

Training for cax'efully selected volunteer offi- 
cei’s is given at Bomb Disposal School. The course 
is 13 to 14 weeks in duration. It includes some 
night lectures, demonstrations, and laboratory 
classes. About 25 per cent of the course is de¬ 
voted to practical field work. 

The course of study includes the mastery of 
the bombs and fuses of all countries, and the 
methods for rendering safe all types of unex¬ 
ploded ordnance. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Exceptionally high scholastic average. 

2. Knowledge of physics and ordnance helpful. 

3. Must be accurate worker with ability to pay 

attention to details. 

4. Must not be reckless, dare-devil type. 

5. Volunteers only. 



Removing a 1000-Pound UXB. 


RESTRICTED 


29 








CHEMICAL WARFARE OFFICER 

Officers who volunteer for this billet are 
assigned to instructional work at shore sta¬ 
tions and on large ships. It is important that 
they respect but not fear chemicals, and that 
their interest in chemical warfare be genuine. 

Chemical engineering subjects or a college 
major in chemistry are preferred but not ab¬ 
solutely essential if the candidate demonstrates 
interest and ability or has a hobby in the 
chemical field. Previous industrial experience 
in the manufacture or laboratory study of 
chemicals is desirable. 

An officer is trained for this billet in a 
short four week course. Training is primarily 
centered upon defensive aspects of chemical 
warfare and secondarily upon offensive ap¬ 
plications. Instruction includes: properties of 
agents, lung irritants, gas identification, chem¬ 
ical weapons and munitions, and protection of 
civilians, supplies, and ships. An additional 
two weeks of training is devoted to the hand¬ 
ling and storage of toxic gas. 

The Chemical Warfare Officer must be quick 
thinking and articulate during emergencies. 
He must interest and motivate others to prac¬ 
tice protection. 

Aboard ship, the Chemical Warfare Officer 
is usually found in the Construction and Re¬ 
pair Department. Commonly, the First Lieu¬ 
tenant acts in this capacity. 


Naval Training School {Chemical Warfare) 

Chemical Warfare Officers are trained during 
a six-week course. Four weeks are devoted to 
regular chemical warfare, and an additional two 
weeks to a study of toxic gases. 

Emphasis is placed upon the defensive aspects 
of chemical warfare; properties of agents, lung 
irritants, gas identification, chemical weapons, 
protective measures, and storage. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Good sense of smell since gases are asso¬ 

ciated with their characteristic odors. 

2. Chemical engineering background helpful. 

3. No fear of chemical warfare. 

4. Ability to remain calm under pressure and 

give orders accurately and rapidly. 

5. Teaching experience helpful. 


MARINE CORPS OFFICER 

From time to time, the Marine Corps extends 
the opportunity to naval officers in training 
to volunteer for commissioning in the U. S. 


Marine Corps. Successful candidates are com¬ 
missioned as Second Lieutenants and are as¬ 
signed to combat duty in charge of a platoon 
of enlisted Marines. The preparation for this 
type of duty, is a four month training course, 
followed by immediate assignment to the com¬ 
bat area. Marine Officers may be given an 
opportunity to specialize at specialist schools 
in artillery, ordnance, or communications. 

Candidates with exceptional leadership abil¬ 
ity are sought—particularly those who are 
“jacks of all trades.” Ingenuity and resource¬ 
fulness, qualities which make for a good mixer, 
and the wish to close with the enemy, are all 
desirable personal traits. 

MINE DISPOSAL OFFICER 

New types of mines have appeared in this 
war as rapidly and as regularly as types of 
aircraft. It is imperative that knowledge of 
what makes a new mine “tick” be gained im¬ 
mediately, for without such knowledge defen¬ 
sive sweeping is impossible. Hitler’s vaunted 
secret weapon in 1939 was the magnetic mine 
and his boast that with it he would bring 
Britain to her knees would possibly have come 
true but for the courageous work of British 
mine disposal personnel. 

The U. S. Mine Disposal Service has been 
operating in every theater of the war since 
1941, coping with mines in myriad circum¬ 
stances—taking them apart, blowing them up, 
working on them under water and on land, and 
acquiring samples from captured mine dumps. 
Almost invariably when a new field of enemy 
mines is discovered, disposal personnel are 
called in to recover and dismantle at least one 
mine and to supply technical intelligence to the 
Sweeping Forces. 

Training for such work includes several 
months’ background at the Mine Warfare 
School, then advanced training at a Navy Yard 
(which includes a course in deep sea diving). 
Almost all Mine Disposal Officers and men hold 
the rate of Diver, 2/c. 

Successful completion of this training re¬ 
quires good physical condition, some mechani¬ 
cal aptitude, and a large amount of common 
sense. Furthermore, Mine Disposal Officers are 
often privileged to have great independence of 
operation and must be able to assume the ac¬ 
companying responsibilities. 

Mine disposal is considered voluntary duty 


30 


RESTRICTED 




only because of the routine hazards involved 
in handling explosives and not because of any 
inherent risk in the work itself. The officers 
are so well trained that to date there have been 
very few fatalities. 


Naval Mine Warfare School 

Mine Disposal Officers spend eleven weeks in 
undex’water ordnance training, followed by eleven 
additional weeks at Mine Disposal School. 

The first period is devoted to the characteristics 
of mines, depth charges, torpedoes, etc., their 
tactical use, and effective counter measures. The 
second period includes a detailed study of Allied 
and enemy underwater ordnance, training in 
diving, and the use of deep sea and shallow 
water gear. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Good scholastic average. 

2. Mechanical aptitude. 

3.. Training in physics, mathematics, or elec¬ 
tricity preferred. 

4. Volunteers only. 



MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT OFFICER 

No naval craft has captured the imagination 
of the American public more than the PT boat. 
One of the fastest craft in the Navy, it can 
outmaneuver and outrun all types of enemy 
vessels when the conditions are favorable. 
Earlier, its chief function was to carry out 
sneak attacks on enemy ships, to fire a series 
of torpedoes at deadly short range, then beat a 
hasty zigzag retreat from the danger area. 
More recently, the tactical use of the motor 
torpedo boat has broadened in many ways. 
Principal current use is for scouting, damaging 
shore installations, and intercepting small 
transports and troop barges. Its effectiveness 
as a small gunboat has been amply demon¬ 
strated within recent months. 

The PT boat varies from 70 to 80 feet in 
length, and is driven by three Packard engines, 
each of 1350 horsepower or more. In addition 
to being equipped with four torpedoes, it is 
armed with anti-aircraft guns, and anti-per¬ 
sonnel weapons. 

Because of the nature of the boat and its 
missions, the life of a PT Boat Officer is often 
arduous. Living conditions aboard are apt to 
be crowded and poor. Men may spend grueling 
hours at sea in a boat too small to give warmth 


or comfort. Advanced base provisions are often 
inadequate. Men must get along with each 
other in crowded conditions for days at a time. 

PT boats operate in squadrons from ad¬ 
vanced bases, where they return for fuel, re¬ 
pair, and ammunition. Engineers and ordnance 
officers are stationed at bases to service, main¬ 
tain, and supply the boats. There are usually 
twelve boats in each squadron, but this number 
may vary. 

The PT boat has a complement of two offi¬ 
cers, (1) Commanding Officer, and (2) Execu¬ 
tive Officer. Both officers must have a complete 
working knowledge of all operations aboard, 
of navigation, gunnery, torpedoes, communica¬ 
tions, engineering, and general seamanship. 
They must mold their crew of seven or eight 
men into a quick-thinking, quick-acting unit, 
with a high morale and a spirit of obedience. 

Each squadron has a Commanding Officer 
and Executive Officer. Capable officers from 
PT boats may become squadron Executive or 
Commanding Officers after a period of success¬ 
ful operational experience. 

An advanced base unit generally has three 
officers, though this may be expanded to in¬ 
clude ten or twelve. The essential officers are 
one engineering officer, an ordnance officer, and 
a radio and radar materiel officer. These offi¬ 
cers engage in servicing and supplying the 
boats. They overhaul and repair engines, tor¬ 
pedoes, equipment, and guns, and restock the 
boat with torpedoes and ammunition. 


Selection Requirements 

1. Must pass special BuMed physical examina¬ 

tion. 

2. Small boat experience very desirable. 

3. Athletic background helpful. 

4. Volunteers only. 


NAVAL GUNFIRE LIAISON OFFICER 

This is a billet which requires outstanding 
judgment and high personal qualities. The de¬ 
cisions reached and the directions transmitted 
by the Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer determine 
the effectiveness of naval support to land oper¬ 
ations. The duty has many aspects: one of the 
most common assignments is to conceal one’s 
fire control party and equipment ashore during 
naval assault on enemy held territory and to 
direct the fire of ships engaged in shore bom¬ 
bardment of enemy installations and troop 
dispositions. 


RESTRICTED 


31 





Training is accomplished through assign¬ 
ment to duty aboard a combatant ship in the 
gunnery department. This assignment is usu¬ 
ally to a destroyer, cruiser or battleship par¬ 
ticipating in shore bombardments. Following 
this experience, several months of additional 
training are given ashore in the principles of 
gunfire liaison. Such a course also emphasizes 
map reading, air photo interpretation, com¬ 
munications, and combat conditioning. 

Officers who volunteer for this duty must be 
courageous, be self-confident, be given to mak¬ 
ing quick decisions, and be adapted to “fox 
hole” life. Aggressive and independent action 
must be taken on numerous occasions. Officers 
who have high academic ability combined with 
experience in forestry, game hunting, and 
camping in rough country are the type who 
prove most adapted to this duty. 

ORIENTAL LANGUAGE OFFICER 

Officers who volunteer for this duty are as¬ 
signed eventually to front line duty interpret¬ 
ing, interviewing prisoners, and translating 
leaflets, letters, and documents. Before qualify¬ 
ing for such an assignment, however, an officer 
must survive a rigorous academic training pro¬ 
gram for a period of six to eighteen months. 

Oriental Language Officers specialize in a 
single language—Russian, Chinese, Japanese 
or Malayan, at the School of Oriental Lan¬ 
guages. From the start of the course, all inter¬ 
course is carried on in the language of one’s 
specialty. This regimen applies not only to the 
hours of academic instruction, but also to the 
conduct of normal day-to-day routines as well 
as to social and recreational periods: sports, 
plays, songs, and wardroom conversations. 


Obviously, an officer who volunteers for such 
a billet must have high capacity for learning. 
Memorization ability and stamina to stand up 
under intensive study are essential. In addi¬ 
tion, the personal qualities of the officer should 
be suited to the exercise of tact and diplomacy, 
good interrogation, and the assumption of in¬ 
dividual responsibility. 



SUBMARINE OFFICER - 

The submarine is one of the most highly 
mechanized craft afloat. The compact interior 
contains a vast amount of machinery. Because 
of the complex mechanization of the submarine, 
every officer aboard must be a technician. 
Every valve, lever, switch and instrument 
aboard is of vital importance. Failure to under¬ 
stand and appreciate their importance is to 
court disaster. Duty aboard a submarine is 
often not glamorous and may be most monoto¬ 
nous during long periods of routine waiting. 
Days of submerged operations and nights of 
watchful waiting in an assigned area can 
hardly be called exciting. Moments of action 
are certain to occur, and when they do, they 
are breath-taking in their excitement. Every 
man has his chance to engage in action against 
the enemy and to see the results of his long 
hours of waiting. 

The chief function of the submarine on war 
patrol is the destroying of enemy men-of-war 
and merchant shipping. Because of its ability 
to submerge, it has been a most powerful 
weapon against shipping, often operating with¬ 
in range of shore guns. The submarine has 
been used, too, on secret missions where sur¬ 
face vessels could not be employed. 

Officers are assigned aboard submarines 
under instruction as Assistant to the Engineer 
and Electrical Officer, First Lieutenant, Gun¬ 
nery and Torpedo Officer, Communication Offi¬ 
cer, or as Radar and Radio Materiel Officer 
with collateral duties. They stand OOD watches 
and diving watches.at sea, and OOD watches 
in port—in addition, supervise personnel and 
the maintenance, operation, and repair of 
equipment. 

Applications for submarine training are 
especially desired from officers with seagoing 
experience, particularly those who are experi- 


Navy School of Oriental Languages 

The length of the training program varies with 
the language studied. Japanese is fourteen 
months, Chinese eighteen months, Russian six 
months, and Malayan three months. 

The program is entirely devoted to language 
mastery with the exception of one hour per day 
of physical exei'cise. 

Selection Requirements 

1. Exceptionally high scholastic standards. 

2. Excellent memorization ability. 

3. Willingness to undergo exceptionally in¬ 

tense and rigorous training. 

4. Volunteers only. 


32 


RESTRICTED 








enced in ship handling. Consequently, careful 
selection based on the quality of an officer’s 
fitness report records, is used to determine 
those best fitted to the current needs of the 
submarine service. 


Selection Requirements 

1. Must pass special BuMed physical exam¬ 

ination. 

2. College training in engineering (particu¬ 

larly electrical) desired. 

3. One year sea experience preferably aboard 

destroyer. 

4. Outstanding personality and ability to ad¬ 

just to life in crowded quarters. 

5. Favorable attitude of family toward offi¬ 

cer’s serving on submarines. 

6. Intense desire to see action. 

7. Volunteers only. 


UNDERWATER DEMOLITION 
TEAM OFFICER 

An officer who volunteers for this billet may 
serve as Mine Disposal Officer, Boat Officer, 
Communication Officer, Platoon Leader, or 
Assistant Platoon Leader on the headquarters 
staff of an underwater demolition team. 

Such a team carries out hydrographic recon¬ 
naissance up to the high water mark and com¬ 
piles and interprets results; marks obstacles 
and channels; destroys or removes man-made 
or natural landing party obstacles by means of 
explosives before, during, and after assault; 
and cooperates effectively with all other activi¬ 
ties operating in the area (especially with pre- 
a£sault intelligence). These operations are car¬ 
ried on prior to the launching of amphibious 
assaults. The duty is of central importance. 

Training is rigorous. It concentrates upon a 
practical knowledge of the use of explosives. 
Other important fields of learning are: hand¬ 
ling of explosives, removal of obstacles, de¬ 
tection of mines and booby traps, minesweeping 
in shallow water, piloting, seamanship, inter¬ 
pretation of coastal silhouettes, use of landing 
craft and rubber boats, physical conditioning, 
long distance surf swimming with equipment, 
stealth and concealment, shallow water diving. 


military discipline, and hydrographic recon¬ 
naissance. 

An officer to succeed in this billet need not 
possess unusually high academic proficiency, 
but should have outstanding qualifications in 
the way of practical intelligence and personal 
qualities which inspire confidence. Mature 
judgment, the making of quick, intelligent de¬ 
cisions, courage, self-reliance, good military 
bearing, and interest in demolition work are 
of central importance. 



"Stand By!" 


RESTRICTED 


33 







MISCELLANEOUS AND SPECIAL BILLETS 


Junior line officers are procured primarily for 
filling the Navy’s needs at sea aboard combatant 
and supporting ships of the fleet. Occasionally, 
special needs arise which are so urgent as to 
require channeling officers trained for deck and 
engineering duties into special programs. Nor¬ 
mally, the staffing of special programs (particu¬ 
larly those tvhich are shore based) is accom¬ 
plished by using more experienced officers: re¬ 
serve officers brought into service from civilian 
employment, and officers rotated from ship to 
shore. 

Although the likelihood of assignment to spe¬ 
cial and miscellaneous billets such as those listed 
in this section of the booklet is confined to offi¬ 
cers above the rank of Ensign, and although 
many of the programs have no open quotas, an 
occasional neiv officer may be assigned to them 
if his experience is exceptional, or if some 
physical impairment is suffered during training 
or after commissioning which causes him to fail 
to meet active sea duty standards. 

As a look ahead to future duty possibilities, 
this section will prove of assistance to the young 
officer who may become eligible for reassign¬ 
ment after serving an initial tour of duty. It may 
also serve as a useful reference for any officer 
ivho is made available or who may be muthorized 
to request a change of duty. 

ARMED GUARD OFFICER 

Protection of merchant shipping has been 
one of the major problerhs of this war. To 
lessen the menace of enemy submarines, sur¬ 
face vessels, and planes which prey upon mer¬ 
chant ships, the Navy provides our supply 
vessels with armed escort ships, and, in addi¬ 
tion, places trained gun crews aboard Mer¬ 
chantmen (the Armed Guard), The officer and 
gun crews on each merchant ship man all sizes 
and types of guns up to five inch. In enemy 
infested waters. Navy Armed Guard crews may 
see plenty of action. 

Generally, younger officers of the Navy are 
not assigned to this duty. From time to time, 
however, the urgency of this program has re¬ 
quired the detailing of many officers of all ages 
and abilities to meet the need. 


Armed Guard Officers are the representatives 
of the Navy in the merchant fleet. They are 
expected to perform their duties in the best 
traditions of the service. The need for moti¬ 
vating crews to keep constant vigil and to 
improve through steady drill taxes ingenuity 
and command qualities. To maintain high mo¬ 
rale within the Armed Guard crew, to preserve 
good relations between the navy crew and the 
merchant crew and to represent the Navy well 
in the eyes of Merchant Marine Officers are 
responsibilities which challenge. Officers with 
teaching, coaching, and industrial relations 
backgrounds, are usually well suited to the 
billet. 

BEACH BATTALION OFFICER 

Officers detailed to Beach Battalion duty 
select suitable landing points, mark naviga¬ 
tional hazards, and direct traffic along the 
beachhead during landing operations. They 
effect emergency repairs to boats and keep 
beaches clear of obstacles which impede the 
efficiency of landing operations. Beach Bat¬ 
talion Officers also maintain communication 
with naval task groups and with vessels oper¬ 
ating in concert. They care, too, for beach 
casualties and evacuate the wounded to ships. 

Officers with organizational and administra¬ 
tive experience are preferred — particularly 
those who have handled gangs of laborers en¬ 
gaged in outdoor work. 

HARBOR ENTRANCE 
CONTROL POST OFFICER 

To keep check on all vessels entering and 
leaving harbors and to control traffic in 
crowded areas, the Navy maintains Harbor 
Entrance Control Posts at the entrances to 
most harbors in the continental United States 
and at advanced bases. Watch officers stationed 
at these posts supervise the regulation of traffic 
and act as liaison between Army shore-based 
defenses and local patrol craft in the event of 
enemy attack. When the presence of enemy 
surface or underwater craft is discovered by 
underwater detection stations, this information 
is relayed to the Harbor Entrance Control Post. 


34 


RESTRICTED 



It is the duty of the Watch Officer to direct 
patrol vessels and aircraft in their search for 
the marauder. 

MILITARY GOVERNMENT OFFICER 

Officers detailed to this program assist in 
setting up and administering military govern¬ 
ment in occupied areas in the Far East. 

Broad and progressive work experience in 
city management, public administration, police 
training, labor, transportation, shipping, agri¬ 
culture, mining, fisheries, public accounting, 
finance, utilities, public health, commodity con¬ 
trol, prices and rationing, or manufacture and 
trade is required of candidates. 

Speaking knowledge of an Oriental language 
is highly desirable, but not imperative. 

As billet openings occur in this program it is 
planned to give all qualified naval officers an 
opportunity to submit applications by way of 
an AlNav. The lower age limit will be set at 
30 years and applications received will be re¬ 
viewed and acted upon by a Selection Board. 

NET DEFENSE OFFICER 

One important method of protecting harbor 
entrances and fleet anchorages from enemy 
submarines, torpedoes, and small craft is to 
use submarine nets and torpedo nets. These 
heavy steel nets, suspended from buoys, are 
laid vertically across the entrances of both 
continental and advanced base harbors and are 
anchored to the ocean floor. Within continental 
limits, nets are assembled, laid, and repaired 
from Net Depots near the harbor. At advanced 
bases, nets brought in on net cargo vessels 
(AKN) are assembled and launched from them 
and laid by net layers (AN). The net layers 
also tend and maintain these nets. Both types 
of ship may be found in the most advanced 
areas, and occasionally must work and fight at 
the same time, for nets are now laid in early 
stages of assault operations. Pontoon net-tend¬ 
ing barges, pontoon gate vessels to operate net 
gates, and pontoon tugs round out this fleet. 

Trained personnel are required to perform 
necessary functions. Officers at Net Depots 
supervise manufacture, repair, and loading of 
net and boom defenses. Officers aboard net ves¬ 
sels perform duties as general deck officers as 
well as supervise the laying, tending, and re¬ 
pair of net equipment. This duty is rugged and 


involves heavy equipment and hard work; 
however there is much good experience in sea¬ 
manship, and the use of interesting machinery. 
For security reasons the net and boom service 
performs with little fanfare. 

PORT DIRECTOR OFFICER 

Officers detailed to this billet are assigned 
duty in connection with planning and coordi¬ 
nating the movement of ships and cargo; ar¬ 
ranging for berthing, fueling, and provisioning 
of ships; supervision of cargo handling; pass¬ 
ing on maintenance and repair of ships; and 
handling of personnel. Assignment is to Port 
Director offices in and out of the continental 
limits. 

Extensive experience is required as marine 
superintendent, port terminal superintendent, 
pier superintendent, stevedore superintendent, 
stevedore, port captain, export manager, ma¬ 
rine engineer (maintenance), traffic manager, 
or shipping agent. 

UNDERWATER (HARBOR) 

DETECTION OFFICER 

Continental and advanced base harbors must 
be protected vigilantly in order to safeguard 
their immense importance to the successful 
prosecution of the war. Special precautions 
must be taken against submarines, hostile 
minelayers, and small offensive craft like E 
boats and motor torpedo boats. 

The most frequent harbor protection devices 
are magnetic loops, harbor echo-ranging and 
listening devices, heralds, sono-radio buoys, 
and cable-connected hydrophones—all of which 
aid in detection and location of all underwater 
and surface craft. 

Two principal types of officers serve in har¬ 
bor defense: technical and non-technical watch 
officers. Technical watch officers are respon¬ 
sible for the installation and maintenance of 
underwater detection devices. Non-technical 
watch officers supervise enlisted operators on 
rotating watches, interpret information re¬ 
ceived by equipment, and make reports to 
higher authorities at Harbor Entrance Control 
Posts or at tactical operations centers. 

Harbor defense duty is well suited to officers 
who are interested in technical equipment. 
Officers not qualified for sea duty may be con¬ 
sidered for this billet. 


RESTRICTED 


35 


EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL 
INDEX TO NAVAL OFFICER BILLETS 


The following list of ship and shore billets to which junior officers may 
be assigned is grouped by educational—occupational headings for con¬ 
venient reference. 

All of the duties which appear in this list are described as to qualifications 
and training in the Billet Selection Requirements Manual: Types of Naval 
Officer Duty, NavPers 16407. The Personnel Officer of your station, the 
Classification and Selection Officer of your training base or the Interview¬ 
ing Officer of your school has one of these manuals. 


ACCOUNTING 

Accounting Officer 
Contract Termination Officer 
Cost Inspection Officer 
Insurance Division Officer 
Price Adjustment Board 
Ship’s Service Officer 
Supply Corps 

ATHLETIC. COACHING, ETC. 

Amphibious 

Amphibious Assignments to Ai-ea Commanders 

Beachmaster 

Company Officer 

Demolition Unit 

Mine Disposal 

Motor Torpedo Boats 

Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer 

Physical Training Officer (Aviation) 

Recreation and Welfare Officer 
Scouts and Raiders 

ADMINISTRATIVE—GENERAL 

Civil Affairs 

Control Materials Plan Officer 
Harbor Entrance Control Post 

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

Advanced Base 

Bachelor Officers Quarters Officer 
Billet Analysis Officer 
Commercial Banking Officer 
Communications 

District Civilian Personnel Officer 
Forms Control Officer 
Hotel Manager 
IBM Officer 

Insurance Division Officer 
Job Analysis and Evaluation Officer 
Management Engineer 
Materials Reclamation Officer 
Methods Analyst 

Motion Picture Distribution Officer 


Pay Clerk Specialist 
Ship’s Service Officer 
Supply Corps 

War Production Board Officer 

BANKING 

Commercial Banking Officer 
Contract Termination Officer 
Price Adjustment Board 

CHEMISTRY 

Chemical Warfare 

ENGINEERING 

Advanced Base 
Ammunition Handling Officer 
Anti-Submarine Officer 
Aviation Engineering Officer 
Beneficial Suggestion Officer 
Billet Analysis Officer 
Cartographic Engineer 
Construction Battalion Officer 
Degaussing Officer 
Diesel Engineering 
Engine Type Specialist 
Engineering Officer 
Amphibious 
Aviation 
CincPac 
Diesel 

Mine Warfare 
Submarines 
Fire Control 
Gyro-Compass 
Harbor Defense 
Hydrographic Officer 
Junior Engineering Officer 
Auxiliaries 
Destroyer Escorts 
Destroyers 
Large Ships 
Submarines 
Mine Assembly 


36 


RESTRICTED 




Mine Depot Officer 

Oil Rehabilitation 

Oil Terminal Officer 

Ordnance 

Patent Solicitor 

Petroleum Inspection Officer 

Pre-Radar 

Procurement Expediting Officer 
Production Expeditor 
Project Engineer Officer 
Public Works Officer 
Radio Maintenance 
Safety Engineer Officer 
Salvage 

Ship Repair Officer 
Special Devices Officer 
Submarines 

War Production Board Officer 

FIRE FIGHTING 

Fire Fighting Duty Officer 

HOTEL AND RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE 

Bachelor Officer Quarters Officer 
Hotel Manager 

INSTRUCTION. TEACHING. AND 

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION. 

Air Combat Information Officer 

Anti-Submarine Officer 

Communications 

Company Officer 

Curriculum Construction Officer 

Educational Services Officer 

Gunnery Officer (Aviation) 

Instructor Training Officer 

Naval Academy Instructor 

Navy College Training Supervisor 

Pre-Flight Academic Instruction 

Prison Officer 

Recognition 

Rifle Training Officer 

Senior Administrative Officer 

Special Devices Officer 

Teachers and Coordinators of Audio Visual 
Test Construction Officer 
Training Aids Disti'ibution Officer 
Training Film Utilization Officer 
Training Officer for Drafted Workers 
Vocational Training Officer 

JOURNALISM 

Air Combat Information Officer 
Aviation Training Program 
Curriculum Construction Officer 
Motion Picture Script Writer 
Photo Science Laboratory Officer 
Piinting Officer 

LAW 

Air Combat Information Officer 

Communications 

Contract Termination Officer 

Patent Attorney 

Patent Solicitor 




Procurement Legal Officer 
War Production Board Officer 
Tactical Radar 

LABOR RELATIONS 

Armed Guard 
Incentive Division 
Industrial Relations Officer 
Labor Relations Officer 
Labor Supply Officer 

MEDICAL 

Veterans Administration 
Venereal Disease Control Officer 

PERSONNEL 

Advanced Base 
Anti-Submarine Officer 
Armed Guard 

Beneficial Suggestion Officer 
Billet Analysis Officer 
Classification Officer 
Company Officer 

District Civilian Personnel Officer 
Industrial Relations Officer 
Job Analysis and Evaluation Officer 
Labor Relations Officer 
ETC. Labor Supply Officer 

Management Engineer 
Methods Analyst 
Personnel Officer OP&M 
Personnel Analyst 
Psychologist 
Ship’s Service Officer 
Shore Patrol Officer 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Photographic Officer 

Photo Science Laboratory Officer 

POST OFFICE 

Postal Liaison Officer 
Post Office Inspector 

RADIO 

Aids Air Combat Information Officer 

Aviation Communication Officer 
Fighter Direction Officer 
Harbor Defense 
Incentive Division 
Radio Maintenance 

RELIGION 

Chaplain 

SHIPPING 

Ammunition Handling Officer 
Materials Handling Officer 
Packaging Officer 

TRANSPORTATION 

Beachmaster 

Domestic Transportation Officer 
Net Defense 
Port Director Officer 
Tire Maintenance Officer 


RESTRICTED 


37 


INDEX 


Aircraft Carriers _ 

Amphibious Ships and Craft_ 

Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer_ 

Armed Guard Officer_ 

Attack Boats_ 

Attack Cargo Vessel _ 

Attack Transport_, 

Auxiliaries (Large) _ 

Auxiliaries (Small) _ 

Battleships _ 

Beach Battalion Officer_ 

Bomb Disposal Officer_ 

Bomb Disposal School_ 

Carrier Escort _ 

Chemical Warfare (Naval Training 

School)_:::_ 

Chemical Warfare Officer_ 

CIC Watch Officer _ 

Civil Affairs Officer_ 

Combat Information Center_ 

Communication Officer_ 

Communication Watch Officer_ 

Communications (Naval Training School) 

Corvette _ 

Cruisers ___ 

Damage Control Officer_ 

Destroyer Escorts _ 

Destroyers_ 

Diesel Engineering (Naval Training 

School) ___ 

Diesel Engineering Officer_ 

District Craft _ 

Engineering Officer _ 

Fighter Direction Officer_ 

Fire Control (Naval Training School)__ 

Fire Control Officer_ 

First Lieutenant_ 

Fleet Sonar School__ 

Gunnery Officer_ 

Harbor Entrance Control Post Officer_ 

Hull Department _ 

Hydrographic Survey Ship_ 

Interceptor _ 

Landing Craft Infantry_ 

Landing Craft Support_ 

Landing Craft Tank_ 


38 


Page 

Landing Ship Dock _ 22 

Landing Ship Medium_ 18 

Landing Ship Tank _ 18 

Landing Ship Vehicle _ 22 

Large Ships_ 16 

Marine Corps Officer_ 30 

Military Government Officer_ 35 

Mine Assembly Officer___ 13 

Minecraft_ 26 

Mine Disposal Officer_ 30 

Motor Torpedo Boat Officer_ 31 

Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer_ 31 

Naval Mine Warfare School_ 31 

Naval Radar Training School_ 5 

Naval Torpedo Station _ 13 

Navigation Officer _ l 

Net Defense Officer _ 35 

Nets and Booms _ 35 

Optical Officer_ 13 

Oriental Language Officer_ 32 

Patrol Vessels_ 26 

Port Director Officer _ 35 

Pre-Radar (Naval Training School) _ 4 

PT Boat_ 31 

Radar Officer_ 4 

Radio Officer_ 3 

Radio Specialist _ 4 

Recognition (Naval Training School _ 12 

Recognition—Lookout Training _ 12 

Recognition Officer_ n 

Salvage Vessels_ 25 

Seaplane Tender_ 2 I 

Ship’s Secretary_ 3 

Signal Officer _ 3 

Sonar Officer_ 5 

Special Amphibious Programs_ 28 

Submarine Chaser _ 26 

Submarine Officer _ 32 

Tactical Radar _ 4 

Tactical Radar (Naval Training School )4 


Tanker _ 21 

Technical Radar_ 4 

Torpedo Officer_ 12 

Troop Transport_ 21 

Underwater Demolition Team Officer_ 33 

Underwater (Harbor) Detection Officer .. 35 

☆ U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1945-640741 



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A Million Tons of Warships 













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